


Te Sol'ad

by onepageatatime715



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 is a Good Bro, CT-5285 | Tup Is Baby, CT-5285 | Tup Needs a Hug, Child Abuse, Clone Cadets, Cuddling & Snuggling, Family Feels, Fights, Fist Fights, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, Kaminoans (Star Wars), Kaminoans Being Assholes (Star Wars), M/M, Overprotective Brothers, Overprotective clones, Platonic Cuddling, Protective CT-7567 | Rex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:20:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27564436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onepageatatime715/pseuds/onepageatatime715
Summary: Beyond Kamino, very few were privy to the rigor and intensity of the education and training the clones endured.In order to rapidly produce a large army, the Kaminiise saw to it that the clones were subjected to an intense training program. Endless mental and physical drills bled into the clones' "recreation," where they participated in sports and games that resembled battle situations. Most of their classes consisted of intense classes that used screens and focus-enhancing helmets to help clones memorize information that might one day been useful on the battlefield. Then, as if endless training and intense classes weren’t enough, the clones also went through painful accelerated growth before reaching maturity, all while enduring nonstop training, simulations, and testing.CT-5835 was privy to all the trials and tribulations of this education, and more.
Relationships: 501st Legion & CT-5385 | Tup, CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-5385 | Tup, CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-6116 | Kix
Comments: 108
Kudos: 112





	1. Bajur

**Author's Note:**

> Bajur - Education)
> 
> This tale will follow CT-5835, the clone better known as Tup, from Kamino to the 501st. Like all Republic clone troopers, CT-5835 was born at the cloning facilities on Kamino, where he spent the first years of his life rigorously training for deployment. I have taken creative liberties with this story, including playing with the timeline of some events (namely, the age and presence of certain characters, especially those among the Cuy'val Dar. 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

_CT-5835 positioned his feet at twelve and five, simultaneously lifting his hands towards his face with a practiced ease as he faced the sparring pads before him. Then, with the same practiced ease, he stepped and jabbed with his left side._

_Fluid – smooth like silk – the product of years of intense training._

_Right, left, right, left – over and over, CT-5835’s fists connected with the sparring pads._

_Again, again, again._

_CT-5835 knew better than the show weakness – knew better than to slow or stumble with the trainers watching his every move. The Kaminiise scientists, the Clone Sergeants, the Cuy'val Dar – it didn’t matter._

_Someone was always watching._

_Right, left, right, left._

_CT-5835 ignored the pain blossoming in his knuckles, the warning signs lancing up his forearms. He hadn’t been told to stop; hadn’t been told to hold._

_So he punched again._

_Again, again, again, each pound of his fists on the sparring pad both absolution and condemnation._

_His fists kept connecting with the sparring pads before him, and it was with a grim sort of satisfaction that CT-5835 realized that each slam of his unwrapped fists left behind a bloodied mark on the otherwise pristine equipment._

_“Hold,” drawled a voice from behind him._

_CT-5835 held._

~~~

Beyond Kamino, very few were privy to the rigor and intensity of the education and training the clones endured.

In order to rapidly produce a large army, the _Kaminiise_ saw to it that the clones were subjected to an intense training program. Endless mental and physical drills bled into the clones' "recreation," where they participated in sports and games that resembled battle situations. Most of their classes consisted of intense classes that used screens and focus-enhancing helmets to help clones memorize information that might have one day been useful on the battlefield.

As if endless training and intense classes weren’t enough, the clones also went through painful accelerated growth before reaching maturity, all while enduring nonstop training, simulations, and testing.

CT-5835 was privy to all the trials and tribulations of this education, and more.

It was the more that got them, CT-5835 thought wryly as the chilled water of the ‘fresher rolled down his back.

Throughout their time on Kamino, the _Kaminiise_ had not made their threats of "disposal" subtle – each and every one of the clones knew what fate awaited them if they failed their testing. To the _Kaminiise,_ the clones were merely a product – and subpar results could not be tolerated.

CT-5835 shifted under the steady stream of water, doing his best to ignore the screech of his muscles as they twisted and pulled.

Really, it wasn’t the pain in his side that was causing him the largest concern.

It was the way his vision was going black around the edges, the way the sounds around him were becoming warped…

CT-5835 barely registered the moment when his knees hit the ground, his body collapsing into a disorganized heap on the cold durasteel floor of the ‘fresher.

~~~

_“You have to know the limits of your physical and mental endurance, so you can recognize them and pass beyond them,” Walon Vau explained to the unmoving clone on the ground before him. “That is why I push you beyond any suffering you can imagine, do you understand?”_

_When the clone didn’t respond – didn’t so much as move from where Vau had deposited him – the Mandalorian knelt beside him, his voice dropping into a threat._

_“I had hoped that you could be something more,” Vau muttered. “Instead, you would lie here. You would give up and die like lesser men. You would crack up like lesser men. You would lose heart in the direst circumstances like lesser men.”_

_Still, the clone on the ground before him didn’t respond, except for a low moan that made Vau chuckle – a dark, humourless sound._

_He stood up, brushing imagined dust off of his black-amour before walking away._

_“You are a weakling, CT-5835,” Vau jeered, tossing the insult over his shoulder as he walked away. “And you will always do the easy thing and give up.”_

~~~

Blitz looked up from the data pad in his hand as Hammer entered his office. As the only ARC Troopers who had survived the Battle of Kamino, the two had become close, even after Blitz took on the role of sole Commander for Rancor Battalion.

Which was how, without a word from his _vod_ , Blitz knew that something was wrong.

“What is it?”

“Some cadets found him in the showers,” Hammer started, his voice grim. “He’s banged up pretty bad – he’s with Trauma now.”

Blitz was on his feet before Hammer finished speaking, following him out into the hallway without hesitation.

“Who is he?” Blitz asked, him mind already running through possibilities.

“Not sure – he won’t – or can’t – talk,” Hammer admitted grimly. “Looks to be from either a 30 BBY or 29 BBY batch though – still all arms and legs, but about the right height.”

Blitz nodded, his face equally grim.

“You don’t think it’s Priest and Reau again, do you?”

Jango had put an end to Priest and Reau’s little “Battle Circle” before his death on Geonosis, but with their leader gone, Blitz wouldn’t put anything past the remaining _Cuy'val Dar_ members. As the war progressed, the _jetii_ may have clamped down on the more egregious attitudes, but there was only so much that they could do. There simply weren’t enough jetii in the galaxy - they needed the _Cuy'val Dar_ to train the cadets, whether or not they liked it.

Hammer shook his head.

“No, this doesn’t look like… that,” Hammer explained. “Poor _verd’ika_ looks like he took quite the beating though.”

Blitz frowned at that, but remained silent as he followed his _vod_ into the Rancor barracks. Hammer led Blitz to his own bunk, where Trauma was crouched over the injured cadet, an open med kit sprawled beside him. Blitz and Hammer walked up to the pair, coming to a halt on either side of Trauma’s shoulders.

“How’s he doing?” Blitz asked, directing his question to Trauma.

“He has several head and face wounds, which bled like crazy,” Trauma began, without so much as pausing in his treatment of the cadet. “Those are likely what caused him to lose consciousness – either from the blood loss, or as a result of a severe blow to the head.”

Blitz nodded, his gaze sweeping over the mostly naked cadet as Trauma spoke. His eyes caught on all the bruises and lacerations covering his _vod’_ s body. Trauma had already bandaged the more severe ones with bacta, but some of the bruising – especially that on his torso – was likely too expansive for what Trauma had in his med kit.

And they weren’t going to be taking the _verd’ika_ to the _Kaminiise_.

“He also has several bruised ribs – at least one of which is definitely broken,” Trauma added. “Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any damage to his lungs though, and his breathing is more or less normal.”

“Anything else?”

Trauma looked back to the cadet – who was still laying, unmoving, on the bunk with his eyes closed – and then back at Blitz. With a resigned sigh, he stood up, gesturing for Blitz and Hammer to follow him as he moved several paces away.

Blitz waited patiently for his medic to speak, arms crossed over his chest.

“Blitz, this isn’t the first time this _verd’ika_ has been injured like this,” Trauma said lowly, drawing a growl out of Hammer. “At least three of his ribs have been previously broken and left untreated. He has scars all over his back that look like they were cut intentionally. And today’s bruises aren’t the only ones on his body – he has several that are at least days old.”

“What are you saying, Trauma?”

“The injuries I’m describing aren’t from routine training, Blitz,” Trauma replied wearily. “They’ve been left untreated for starters, and inconsistent with the training injuries we normally see on cadets.”

“How long?”

“Some of the scars on his back… They have to be years old, Blitz,” Trauma ground out, his expression resigned.

“You’re saying that someone has been attacking that _verd’ika_ for years?” Hammer cut in; his voice was incredulous bordering on deadly rage. 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Trauma replied.

Blitz walked away from his _vod’e_ without another word, moving to kneel beside the bunk containing the injured cadet.

“ _Verd’ika_ , _liser gar susulur ni_?” _Can you hear me?_ Blitz asked gently. The cadet’s eyes flickered open, meeting Blitz’s own, but he didn’t respond.

“Can you tell me who you are?” Blitz continued, unperturbed. A name, even a number – anything to give them more information. His squad had to be looking for him by now; his absence would begin to draw attention.

No response.

“ _Verd’ika_ , we aren’t going to hurt you,” Blitz pressed forward.

 _“Usen’ye,_ ” the cadet responded quietly, his voice rough and pained.

“ _Pehea liser vi gaa'taylir_ ,” _We just want to help,_ Hammer added gently, coming to kneel beside Blitz. Neither clone moved away from the cadet, resolute in their crusade.

“ _Ba'slanar ni solus_ ,” _Leave me_ alone, the cadet tried again, his voice wavering.

“ _Nayc, verd’ika_ ,” Blitz responded firmly. “Tell who you are.”

For several long moments, there was silence, and then –

“CT-5835.”


	2. Ruusaanyc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blitz jolted awake from his position on the cold durasteel floor at the touch of a foot against his thigh. He had fallen asleep – albeit unintentionally – slouched against the bunk where CT-5835 was still resting. Blitz shifted groggily, squinting up at Trauma. He hadn’t expected the medic back so soon. As soon as CT-5835 had drifted off, Hammer had made his way out of the Rancor barracks to investigate the cadet’s squad, while Trauma had slunk off to thoroughly peruse his medical history. Blitz had been left on “guard duty” – not that any of their vod’e had so much as questioned the presence of an injured cadet in their barracks. 
> 
> It’s not like it was their first day on Kamino.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruusaanyc - To Trust
> 
> In this chapter, my goal was to give readers a bit more background for Tup's relationship with Walon Vau, as well as some insight into Vau's thought process. So, not much plot development here, per say, but lots of cuddles, angry medics, and overprotective ori'vod'e. I promise - Tup will get to meet his vod'e from the 501st soon enough! 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

_Walon Vau was not an emotional man, but he did care for the clones he trained – in his own way._

_No one would ever know that he felt as such though. He kept a tight control over his behaviour and emotions. Some had described his careful neutrality as strict – almost unnatural. Vau could have cared less about what others had to say about him._

_He could show emotion – sympathy, affection, care – when he so chose. But he would never allow such things to interfere with his training of the clones. With his duty._

_Instead, he taught the clones he trained the Mandalorian way through strict discipline. He taught them how to fight. He taught them to be tough. He taught them pain – and how to overcome it. And he taught them all those things – and more – with his own two hands._

_Vau refused to pass the training of his clones off onto another – better to be trained, however brutally, by him, than to leave the dirty work to someone less skilled._

_Typically, he trained Commando Clones - elite clones of the Grand Army of the Republic, trained by the Cuy'val Dar themselves to become the deadliest soldiers in the Clone Army. But when he saw CT-5835, he simply couldn’t resist._

_The clone was still young – barely out of his tube – when Vau first spotted him. He was cautious, but tense and nervous too. Beyond that, he was clever, and Vau couldn’t help himself – he never had been able to resist a challenge._

_To push a regular CT beyond the limits of their design – to train them as a Commando._

_Vau wondered._

~~~

Blitz jolted awake from his position on the cold durasteel floor at the touch of a foot against his thigh. He had fallen asleep – albeit unintentionally – slouched against the bunk where CT-5835 was still resting.

“What?” Blitz asked groggily, squinting up at Trauma. He hadn’t expected the medic back so soon. As soon as CT-5835 had drifted off, Hammer had made his way out of the Rancor barracks to investigate the cadet’s squad, while Trauma had slunk off to thoroughly peruse his medical history.

Blitz had been left on “guard duty” – not that any of their _vod’e_ had so much as questioned the presence of an injured cadet in their barracks.

It’s not like it was their first day on Kamino.

“There’s no record of any of these injuries on his medical file,” Trauma said without preamble, a slight waver in his voice betraying the barely controlled rage he felt. “They’ve recorded all his vaccines, and minor training injuries, but there’s _nothing_ about the plethora of scars on his back, or multiple broken ribs -”

“Trauma, keep your voice down,” Blitz tried.

“ _Haar’chak,_ Blitz!” Trauma growled back, gesturing wildly. “There’s nothing. _Naas_.”

“Of course there’s not,” came the brittle sound of CT-5835’s voice from the bunk behind them.

Blitz made a point of glaring at Trauma before turning to face the _verd’ika_.

“Why isn’t there anything on file?” Blitz asked with a calm he didn’t feel. He suspected that he already knew the answer, but he found that he needed to hear CT-5835 say it.

“Because I don’t get these injuries treated,” CT-5835 replied. “CT-3423 used to help bandage the worst of them, before he… Well, before.”

Trauma made a sound approximating that of an injured tooka, but Blitz just kept his eyes on CT-5835, who stared resolutely back.

“Why didn’t you report to the med bay for treatment of your injuries?”

“Because I was told not to.”

“By who?”

“I can’t say.”

“Why can’t you say?”

Instead of responding to Blitz’s last question, CT-5835 merely glowered back, a picture of teenage defiance. Sometimes, Blitz wished that the _Kaminiise_ hadn’t given them quite so much of Jango Fett’s _kriffing_ stubbornness.

“ _Jahaa’ir at mhi_ ,” _Talk to us_ , Trauma pleaded in Mando’a. “ _Pehea liser vi gaa'taylir_ ,” _We just want to help._

“You can’t help,” CT-5835 replied, pausing before he continued, as if still thinking through the second half of his response. “At least, you can’t help any more than you already have.”

“It has to be one of the _Cuy'val Dar_ then, or the _Kaminiise_ themselves,” Trauma assumed, rounding on Blitz. “Can General Ti do anything about this? I thought that the _jetiise_ were against this kind of treatment of us clones?”

CT-5835 let out a cynical laugh at that – both Blitz and Trauma ignored him.

“The _jetiise_ can’t be everywhere, _vod_ ,” Blitz said gently. “And they need the _Cuy'val Dar_ to train the cadets, whether or not we like it.”

Trauma huffed at that, but Blitz continued before he could come up with another _osik_ suggestion – or worse, launch into another rant.

In his experiencing, ranting was not the way to win over an obstinate _verd’ika._

“Now, I know that you have a shift in the med bay,” Blitz said, letting just a bit of command slip into his tone as he spoke. “I’ve got CT-5835 – he’ll be fine until you get back. _Slanar, vod.”_

Trauma opened and closed his mouth a few times, glancing suspiciously between Blitz and CT-5835. Blitz smiled back innocently, even as the gears in his mind churned.

He needed CT-5835 to trust them – or at least, he needed the cadet to believe that they would protect him.

Trauma sighed and left, muttering under his breath.

Once he was gone, Blitz turned to CT-5835, his expression still carefully neutral.

“Scoot over, cadet,” Blitz ordered, moving to lift himself up onto the bunk. CT-5835 scrambled to move over, pressing himself against the wall as Blitz stretched out.

At the cadet’s clearly confused expression, Blitz explained.

“Trauma and Hammer won’t be back for awhile yet, and I’m off duty for the rest of the cycle,” Blitz said. “I promised our dear _baar’ur_ that I would keep an eye on you – which I plan to – so that means sleeping here, because we’re sure as _osik_ not walking halfway across the compound to get back to the officer barracks.”

When CT-5835 Blitz shrugged and settled in, fluffing Hammer’s pillow just the way he liked.

For several long minutes, Blitz wondered if perhaps he had misjudged, or pressed too hard, but then –

CT-5835 pressed up against him, snuggling up against his warmth. Blitz smiled covertly as he rolled over to pulled the _verd’ika_ against him.

They may have been bred to be soldiers, but Blitz had yet to meet a clone who wasn’t a cuddler.

~~~

_“I could make you great,” Vau mused aloud. “Stronger. Faster. Better.”_

_CT-5835 clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together almost uncomfortably as he fought back a shiver. Vau chuckled nonetheless, a cruel, mocking sound, as if he knew what the cadet before him was trying to do._

_“Could you survive it though,” Vau continued, his voice pitched low and casual. “I wonder.”_

_At his final pronouncement, he pressed the cool point of the vibroblade in his hand more firmly against the skin of CT-5835’s neck. The cadet didn’t bother restraining his flinch at that, twitching away from the cool bite of steel against his throat._

_Vau laughed._

_“You’ll do well, CT-5835,” Vau whispered darkly, his mouth twisting into a grim line. Then he pushed his blade harder against CT-5835’s collarbone, finally drawing blood._

_CT-5835 let out a whimper, but he held._

_Good soldiers followed orders._

_This was a test, CT-5835 knew. A test, though he didn’t understand its purpose. Like so much of his training._

_Vau watched the blood trickle down CT-5835 chest until it met the hem of his shirt, disappearing from sight. With another grim smile, he drew back his blade, tucking it away before he reached up to cup CT-5835’s cheek in his hand._

_“You’ll do well,” Vau repeated, his words both a promise and condemnation._

~~~

Blitz was woken by the sound of the _vod_ pressed against him whimpering in his sleep.

Nightmares were not uncommon among the clones – they all had them, especially those who served on the front lines, alongside the _jetiise_. But to see an _adiik_ caught in the grasp of such a terror tore at Blitz’s heartstrings.

He didn’t hesitate to pull the CT-5835 – the _verd’ika_ didn’t even have a name, for _kriff’s_ sake – closer to him, running his hand through his hair as he did his best to comfort him.

“ _K’uur, verd’ika_ ,” Blitz urged gently. “ _Gar cuyir morut'yc_.”

_You are safe._

CT-5835 pressed more firmly against Blitz, his grip on the Commander’s waist tightening as he sought out the comfort and security of his _ori’vod_ , even in sleep.

Blitz wondered when he had last been held by a _vod_ during one of his night terrors.

He suspected that it had been too long.

Slowly, whatever memory was clawing at CT-5835 released him, and the _verd’ika_ relaxed, the tension drawing from his body in increments. Blitz didn’t release his hold on the _verd’ika_ – nor did he stop his steady stream of _Mando’a_ , or the hand that was running through CT-5835’s hair.

Then, just as slowly, CT-5835 blinked awake, awareness creeping in with every passing second.

If he was embarrassed – or uncomfortable – about being pressed up against the Commander of Rancor Battalion – he didn’t say anything. In fact, he merely snuggled closer, tucking his head firmly against Blitz’s side.

Blitz chuckled.

“How are you feeling, _verd’ika_?”

CT-5835 mumbled something incoherent, drawing another chuckle from Blitz.

“You’re definitely one of us,” Blitz continued. “If the looks didn’t give it away, the penchant for cuddling would have done.”

CT-5835 looked up then, his golden-brown eyes still cloudy with sleep as they met Blitz’s own. Blitz ruffled his hair.

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Blitz began, his voice still gentle. “Except this – if you left Kamino, would you be safer?”

Safer, because no _vod_ was truly safe.

CT-5835’s eyes shuttered, and for a moment, Blitz worried that he might not answer.

“Doesn’t matter,” CT-5835 mumbled. “I’m not done my training yet. I can’t leave.”

Blitz ran his fingers through CT-5835’s hair a few more times before responding, smiling slightly at the way the _verd’ika_ leaned into the touch, his eyes drooping closed at the sensation.

“But if you could – would you be safer?” Blitz pressed.

“Yes,” CT-5835 admitted, still not opening his eyes.

 _“It has to be one of the Cuy'val Dar then, or the Kaminiise themselves,”_ Trauma had said. With this one small admission, CT-5835 confirmed as much. Any _vod_ could potentially be stationed with him – but he would be safe from the _Cuy'val Dar_ and _Kaminiise_ if they sent him out to war.

“Then you’re leaving Kamino,” Blitz decided, his voice firm.

CT-5835 looked up then, his expression doing nothing to hide his surprise – nor the hope that was blossoming with each passing moment.

They would have to work on that, if they were going to smuggle him off of Kamino.


	3. Dajunar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Kamino became one of the main operational areas of the Galactic Republic. It served as the main training grounds for clone cadets as well as the location for the clone army's creation. As such, many clones viewed it as their home world. 
> 
> CT-5835 couldn’t wait to leave it behind him. 
> 
> When Blitz had first spoken, he hadn’t believed the Commander. Escaping Kamino had always seemed like a far-off dream – if not an impossibility. But now, securely wedged between Blitz and Hammer, with Trauma lounging across their outstretched legs, it seemed possible. 
> 
> A life beyond Kamino seemed a reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dajunar - To Plan/Plot
> 
> Hello Readers. First, let me say thank-you to all of you who are reading this - returning chapter after chapter, or those of you who have just stumbled across this little fic. It's definitely turned into more of a slow burn (plot wise), than anticipated, but I promise you - big things are coming! All this plotting and set-up is going somewhere, I promise you that. 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

Kamino was a remote aquatic planet located beyond the outer reaches of the main galaxy – too out of the way to be on any trade routes, and too inhospitable to be desirable to most. Its oceans were known to be host to an abundance of life – both benevolent and menacing. As water levels rose, the Kaminoans were forced to build their cities on stilts, adapting to an increasingly aquatic life and the years went by. The, following the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Kamino became one of the main operational areas of the Galactic Republic. It served as the main training grounds for clone cadets as well as the location for the clone army's creation. As such, many clones viewed it as their home world.

CT-5835 couldn’t wait to leave it behind him.

When Blitz had first spoken, he hadn’t believed the Commander. Escaping Kamino had always seemed like a far-off dream – if not an impossibility. But now, securely wedged between Blitz and Hammer, with Trauma lounging across their outstretched legs, it seemed possible.

A life beyond Kamino seemed a reality.

“We can’t just walk him off Kamino with the next batch of shinies,” Trauma was arguing. “Someone is bound to notice that he’s too scrawny – plus, there’s the issue of missing paperwork, someone noticing an extra cadet in the mix, or even of whatever Commander we sneak him off to sending him back once they realize we sent them a half-baked _adiik_.”

“You’re a right little ray of sunshine today, aren’t you Trauma?” Hammer grumbled, glowering down at the medic.

“Problems we need to find solutions for,” Blitz interrupted amicably, before Trauma could snap back at the other trooper. “We can’t fix his size – though, once we get him in a fresh set of whites with a bucket on his head, it should be harder to tell at a glance.”

“For the nat borns, maybe, or the _Kaminiise,_ but any _vod_ with half a brain will notice that something is off – we’re all _kriffing_ identical,” Trauma argued.

“Good thing most of our _vod_ seem to share one brain cell between them,” Blitz fired back, a quicksilver smirk on his face. “But reducing the amount of time CT-5835 is visible on deck should definitely be a consideration – perhaps some kind of delay that will result in us having to rush the shinies on to their dropship?”

Trauma nodded, his expression slipping into something that could only be described as calculating.

“A technical malfunction on the hangar bay doors,” Trauma mused. “Easy enough to fabricate, and common enough that no one would question the occurrence.”

“We could make sure that the shinies are re-routed through an entrance that would limit their visibility to the general hangar too,” Hammer agreed. “Shouldn’t be too hard to do.”

Blitz was nodding, and CT-5835’s confidence in their budding plan began to grow. And with it, a seed of hope that he couldn’t quite tamp down.

A fresh set of whites to make him look less scrawny.

A bucket to hide his face.

A diversion to cloak his presence.

“Now we just need to decide which Captain – or Commander – we’re spiriting him away to,” Trauma continued, a datapad having appeared in his hands from seemingly nowhere. “There’s several Captains due to stop by for reinforcements within the next week – Captain Lock of Horn Company, Captain Tyto of Bacta Company, Captain Rex of Torrent –“

“Captain Rex is picking up new shinies for Torrent?” Hammer interrupted, his interest clearly piqued.

“You know Rex?” Blitz asked.

“Know of him, more than anything,” Hammer admitted readily. “I went through ARC training with two of his _vod'e_ – Fives and Echo.”

Blitz chuckled – he was familiar with the pair.

“Rex picked them up after the incident on Rishi Moon,” Hammer explained. “Wouldn’t even think of giving them away – and apparently Commander Cody asked.”

“He needs two squads of shinies – and no particular squad has been assigned yet,” Trauma added, his voice practically gleeful. “If we can find a four-man squad…”

“The little _verd’ika_ is even less likely to stand out,” Blitz finished, an honest to goodness grin cracking his face.

A Captain who cared.

A squad in need of a fifth clone.

“Am I really going to get to leave Kamino?” CT-5835 asked, ashamed of how small and hopeful his voice was when he finally spoke.

Blitz pulled him closer, crushing him in a hug.

“We’re going to get you off Kamino, _verd’ika_ ,” Blitz promised.

~~~

Blitz locked his knees, clasping his hands firmly behind him as he did his best not to fidget. It would not do for him to appear nervous. As the highest-ranking officer overseeing the assignment of Kamino’s latest graduates – the shiniest of the shinies – he had no cause to be nervous.

The _Kaminiise_ hadn’t even bothered to show up.

Beside him, Captain Rex of the 501st stood in a flawless parade rest, sharp eyes missing nothing.

But they had accounted for that, hadn’t they?

“Sir, the main hangar bay doors appear to be jammed,” the maintenance clone reported stoutly. “It’ll take us time to fix.”

“Let’s not keep Captain Rex waiting,” Blitz replied smoothly. “Have the troopers re-route through one of the secondary entrances instead.”

The maintenance clone saluted before rushing off to where Hammer was waiting with the two squads they had chosen, ready to divert them through a specific alternative entrance. 

“My apologies, Captain,” Blitz added quickly, turning to engage Captain Rex in conversation.

“No need to apologize, Commander,” Captain Rex replied, just a hint of wry amusement in his voice.

It sounded like he knew something.

Blitz didn’t like it.

“How’re things in the 501st these days?” Blitz pushed forward. “One of my ARC’s – Hammer – mentioned that he trained with two of yours – Fives and Echo?”

“He likely did,” Rex agreed amicably.

Honestly, this was worse then trying to have a conversation with a droid.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the 501st’s newest clones enter the hangar bay, steadily making their way to the waiting dropship. To the untrained eye, nothing was amiss.

Unfortunately, Captain Rex was not an untrained eye.

“What can you tell me about these squads?” Rex asked blandly.

“Two squads – _Werda_ Squad is a standard five clone squad. They’ve got a heavy gunner, an artillery trooper, a scout, a sniper, and a standard gunner.”

“And the four clone squad?” Rex prodded, his voice still carefully bland.

 _Kark_.

“ _Cuir_ Squad was a standard five clone squad as well,” Blitz began. “Lost their sniper in a training accident. The addition isn’t a sniper – on short order, we added a generalist with some rudimentary medical training.”

“Understandable,” Rex responded, his voice now edging back towards the wry amusement that Blitz had noted earlier.

“I’ll have Trauma send their medical files over to your CMO,” Blitz barreled forward. “Now, unless you needed anything else…?”

“No, sir,” Captain Rex responded. He turned to follow his newest troopers onto the waiting dropship, pausing just within hearing range to turn back to Blitz.

“Have Trauma send those medical records to me as well, if you don’t mind,” Rex called back. It was impossible to miss the sarcastic smirk on his face as he spoke.

He knew something was amiss – but he wouldn’t say anything here. Not where there was a risk of the _Kaminiise_ or the _Cuy'val Dar_ hearing. Every vod’e knew better than that – had had the knowledge conditioned into their very bones during their own time on Kamino.

Now Blitz and his _vod’e_ just had to hope that the Captain lived up to his reputation.

_Jate'kara, verd’ika._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having to write "CT-5835" every time, instead of "Tup" is slowly killing me. He'll earn his name soon, don't you worry.


	4. At Akaan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex's priorities were first and foremost to his vod’e, many of whom he cared for deeply. Coming to view Cody, Fives, and Echo as aliit had been inevitable, but he had grown close with many other members of the 501st as well. As it stood, the aching hole in his chest that was Echo had nearly threatened to overwhelm him when he had seen the 501st’s newest shinies – replacements – before he could tamp down on his emotions and hide them behind a thin veneer. He had been so focused on hiding his hurt from Commander Blitz that he had nearly missed it.
> 
> There had been something… off about the last shiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At Akaan - To War
> 
> Here it is - CT-5835 has finally arrived onboard the Resolute, and he's getting his first look at everyone's favourite 501st clones, including Rex, Jesse, Kix, Fives, and Hardcase! Also a brief appearance of Blitz, who is understandably unapologetic, and references to what a terror Kix can be. Enjoy! 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

Captain Rex had been created and trained to serve the Galactic Republic. But when it came down to it, Rex's priorities were first and foremost to his _vod’e_ , many of whom he cared for deeply. Coming to view Cody, Fives, and Echo as _aliit_ had been inevitable, but he had grown close with many other members of the 501st as well, including Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase, among others.

The aching hole in his chest that was Echo had nearly threatened to overwhelm him when he had seen the 501st’s newest shinies – _replacements_ – before he could tamp down on his emotions and hide them behind a thin veneer.

He had been so focused on hiding his hurt from Commander Blitz that he had nearly missed it.

There had been something… _off_ about the last shiny.

He clearly didn’t belong, trailing just a couple paces too far behind what Rex has assumed was a four-clone squad.

But more than that…

Rex watched him now as their dropship continued its flight back to the _Resolute_ , glad that his gaze was hidden from view by his bucket.

The shiny was undoubtedly one of them – the right height, and the right build too. Carried himself like a clone bred and raised on Kamino.

But his blacks sat wrong, and his armor seemed a size too large for his lithe body.

Malnourished, perhaps?

No – Rex had seen malnourished _vod’e_. Had held _vod’e_ that had been pushed to the brink of starvation – the utter limits of their body’s survivability.

This wasn’t that.

No, Rex wondered…

Rex was shaken from his reverie by the jostling of their dropship landing in the _Resolute_ ’s docking bay. Around him, the shinies shifted, eager for a look at their new home.

“You are clear to disembark, Captain,” came Hawk’s voice through their coms, sending another wave of jittering excitement through the gathered troops.

“You heard the pilot, _vod’e_ ,” Rex’s voice rang out around them, echoing softly through the confined space. “Once Hawk drops the loading doors, we’ll make our way out into the hangar in a nice, orderly fashion.”

“Yes, sir!” the shinies parroted back, drawing a wry smile to Rex’s face.

As promised, Rex led them out into the hangar bay – and towards their waiting _vod’e_. He’d asked some of the more senior members of Torrent – namely Jesse, Hardcase, Fives, and Kix – to meet him upon arrival. He’d planned on having them pair off to give each squad a tour and to help them bunk up, but now…

“ _Werda_ Squad, you’re with Lieutenant Jesse,” Rex began, gesturing to the trooper nearest him, distinguished by the cog-shaped symbol of the Galactic Republic on his helmet. “He’ll show you around the _Resolute_ and find you a place to bunk up.”

The 501st’s newest troopers saluted before following Jesse, who loped ahead of them with a casual grace that promised trouble. He’d have his batch of shinies corrupted before dinner.

“Hardcase,” Rex called, gesturing for the trooper to join him. Hardcase crossed the distance quickly, removing his helmet as he did so.

“Captain,” Hardcase said by way of greeting.

“Sergeant, you’ll be in charge of _Cuir_ squad,” Rex instructed, gesturing towards the remaining group. “See to it that the _four_ of them get a proper tour and have somewhere to bunk up.”

If Hardcase suddenly doubted his Captain’s ability to count, he wisely said nothing.

“Yes, sir,” Hardcase replied. “Privates, you’re with me.”

 _Cuir_ squad followed without hesitation, leaving Rex alone with his _baar’ur_ , a brooding ARC trooper, and a distinctly uncomfortable shiny.

“Helmet off, _vod_ ,” Rex instructed, his voice carefully neutral.

“Sir?” the shiny asked, all but confirming Rex’s suspicions before he even removed his bucket. Judging by the way Kix shifted behind him, he heard it too.

“Helmet off,” Rex repeated, his voice slipping towards something sterner as he crossed his arms.

This time, the shiny reached up to do as he was told, slowly pulling his helmet off under the scrutiny of his commanding officer.

Behind Rex, Kix and Fives both sucked in a breath, but Rex merely smiled, moving to pull off his own bucket.

“ _Karking hells_ ,” Fives muttered vehemently.

 _Karking hells_ indeed.

Because the shiny in front of them wasn’t a shiny at all – he couldn’t be more than a cadet, still all arms and legs, his face still baby-soft where adult clones faces were harsh lines.

“How did you get off Kamino, _verd’ika_?”

~~~

Rex took a deep, steadying breath before opening his comlink. It did not do much to temper his… irritation.

[OPEN COMMUNICATION]

Rex: Why the _kark_ is there a cadet on my ship?

Blitz: Would it help if I apologized?

Blitz: Or do you just want an explanation?

Rex: You owe me both.

Blitz: I am sorry for deceiving you.

Rex: But not for smuggling a _karking adiik_ onto my ship?

Blitz: No.

Blitz: This should be more than enough of an explanation.

_Blitz attached a text file._

Rex opened the attached file, which contained a medical report written by Trauma, Rancor’s Head Medic, only days earlier. He skimmed the file, his heart clenching with each word he read.

_CT-5835 was discovered in a state of unconsciousness by fellow cadets, who alerted Lieutenant Hammer of Rancor Battalion to the situation. At the time of initial treatment, CT-5835 had suffered significant blood loss from a laceration on his temple. Without conducting a full medical triage, Lieutenant Trauma was unable to determine the exact cause of loss of consciousness, but suspects that it was caused by either the aforementioned blood loss, or the corresponding head trauma. CT-5835 had also suffered multiple additional injuries in the attack, including: two broken ribs, several lacerations to his arms and torso, significant bruising to his torso, and ecchymosis (bruising around the eyes). Lieutenant Trauma also determined, through ongoing observation, that CT-5835 was malnourished, dehydrated, and exhausted._

Rex pulled his gaze away from the document, feeling ill.

Blitz: Rex?

Rex: You could have just said.

Blitz: We couldn’t be sure that you would take him.

Rex: Should have just given him to Fives from the get-go; he hasn’t let him out of his sight since the _adiik_ took his bucket off.

Blitz: And your medic?

Rex: Kix has been positively feral.

Rex: If Trauma doesn’t get him the _adiik_ ’s medical files immediately, I am concerned for your CMO’s well-being.

Blitz: Noted.

Blitz: And Rex?

Blitz: Take good care of him.


	5. Kir’manir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was not just the language of the Mandalorians that the clones had adopted. Despite being raised as warriors, the clones had accepted their vod’e - and some of their jetiise as well - as aliit, mirroring the importance that the Mandalorians had always placed on aliit. Which was why, upon his entrance into the ARC barracks, Captain Rex was not surprised to find Fives, Jesse, Hardcase, and Kix clustered around the bunk that CT-5835 was seated on, fawning over the verd’ika like he was already one of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kir’manir - Adopt
> 
> Are you ready for some feels? Because this chapter has the feels - we're talking overprotective vod'e, soft Rex'ika, and a stereotypical Mandalorian Adoption. In addition, everyone's favourite Marshal Commander makes his first appearance in this fic (but undoubtedly not his last!). Up next, Tup'ika will finally earn/get his name. 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

It was not just the language of the Mandalorians that the clones had adopted. With no true home planet, the clones had unanimously embraced the creed of the Mandalorians, as their template, Jango Fett, had done before them (no matter what those on Mandalore had to say about it). In direct opposition to their infamy as a ruthless enemy, Mandalorians had cherished family and showered affection upon those they loved and cared for. Despite being raised as warriors, the clones had accepted their _vod’e_ \- and some of their _jetiise_ as well - as _aliit_ , mirroring the importance that the Mandalorians had always placed on _aliit_. 

Which was why, upon his entrance into the ARC barracks, Captain Rex was not surprised to find Fives, Jesse, Hardcase, and Kix clustered around the bunk that CT-5835 was seated on, fawning over the _verd’ika_ like he was already one of their own. The sound of the durasteel door sliding open to admit their _alor’ad_ prompted the troopers to turn their attention to him.

Kix, at least, was clearly still on edge.

“Did that _shabuir_ have any sort of explanation for this,” Kix demanded vehemently, his voiced laced with a dangerous rage.

Rex sighed.

The 501st’s _baar’ur_ cared deeply about the welfare and livelihood of his fellow troopers, but when one of them was in danger – or injured – he could be worse than a mother nexu fawning over its kittens.

“Trauma is sending his medical records to you directly,” Rex reassured the _baar’ur_. “Why don’t you go read through them?”

Kix opened and closed his mouth several times, but he knew a dismissal when he heard one. With a frustrated huff, the _baar’ur_ spun on his heel and stalked away, snatching a data pad from Jesse’s hands as he retreated.

Rex moved forward, filling to space left by Kix.

“I spoke with Commander Blitz,” Rex began, looking down at CT-5835. “He has explained the situation to me.”

CT-5835 nodded warily, glancing between Rex and his troopers hesitantly.

“What – what will you do with me?” CT-5835 asked nervously.

Rex knelt, bringing himself closer to eye level with the _verd’ika_ before him.

“We aren’t going to do anything with you,” Rex replied gently. Before he could continue, Fives cut him off, his voice scandalized.

“We’re keeping him, obviously,” Fives announced, earning himself a smack on the head from Jesse.

“Let the Captain talk, you _di’kut_ ,” Jesse grumbled.

Rex glanced at his ARC Trooper, a small smile gracing his normally stern features before he turned his expression back to CT-5835.

“Is that what you want, _verd’ika_?” Rex asked gently. “To be kept?”

“I – I – what?” CT-5835 stuttered, clearly confused.

“The 501st serves on the frontlines more often than not, _verd’ika_ ,” Rex explained. “Remaining with us will put your life in constant danger, something I would not wish upon even my most seasoned troopers. However, unlike you, we do not have a choice in the matter.”

“Sir?”

“If you’d like, I can speak with my _ori’vod’e_ ,” Rex explained gently. “Find you a safer posting – at least until you’re of age.”

“But you won’t – you wouldn’t send me back to Kamino?” CT-5835 asked.

“ _Nayc, verd’ika_ ,” Rex replied softly. Behind him, Kix had started up a steady litany of cursing, the soft sounds the only disruption in the otherwise quiet barracks as Rex awaited CT-5835’s response.

“I – I think that I would like to stay, sir,” CT-5835 replied slowly. “If that is okay with you, sir?”

Rex smiled, leaning back on his heels.

He didn’t even need to respond as his _vod’e_ swept in.

“Of course, you can stay,” Jesse reassured the younger clone, who was somehow already wrapped up in Hardcase’s arms.

Rex stood, resisting the urge to grin at his _vod’e_.

“Fives, Kix, a word?” Rex said, gesturing to the two. Both followed him without hesitation, Kix still clutching the data pad in his hands. Fives kept glancing backwards towards the closed durasteel door, as if CT-5835 might vanish now that he was out of his sight.

Never mind Kix – they were all _karking_ mother nexu, the whole lot of them.

With a small sigh, Rex turned to his _vod’e_ , his voice tight.

“Kix, have you read enough of his medical records?” Rex asked. A tight nod was all he got from the _baar’ur_. “Good – once he’s feeling up to it, I would like you to complete your own assessment of CT-5835. We’ll need all the information we can get to develop a proper training routine and nutrition regime for our _verd’ika_.”

Another tight nod, and Kix retreated back into the ARC berthing, leaving Fives and Rex alone.

Rex cleared his throat before he spoke, forcing down his own pain.

“Fives, I would never ask this if it wasn’t necessary,” Rex began, his voice holding steady even as his heart pounded against his chest. “But CT-5835 can’t bunk in the main barracks. We might be able to trust Torrent to keep their mouths shut, but if too many of the men know, someone is bound to let something slip sooner or later.”

“You want to give him Echo’s bunk,” Fives guessed, his own voice rough.

“I don’t want to,” Rex replied gently. “But if we’re going to keep CT-5835, that includes keeping him safe.”

Fives sighed wearily, running his hands roughly down his face. When he looked back at Rex, he looked far older than his ten years, his expression shadowed with grief and fatigue.

“I – I worry that I’ll forget him,” Fives admitted quietly. “I’m surrounded by his face everyday, but I still worry that the day will come when I can’t remember _him_.”

Rex reached forward to grip Fives’ arm.

“Accepting CT-5835 won’t replace Echo,” Rex assured him. “ _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum._ ”

Fives leaned into the touch, his face a riot of emotions.

Rex waited in silence.

“I’ll get him set up in his bunk before Kix drags him off to the med bay,” Fives replied eventually. “It’s what Echo would want, you know.”

“I know.”

Rex squeezed Fives’ shoulder one last time before pulling away, giving the ARC trooper space as he moved to re-enter the barracks, his expressions schooled into a careful neutrality.

Rex turned away.

He had a call to make.

~~~

[OPEN COMMUNICATION]

Rex: Cody, I have a favour to ask.

Cody: No.

Rex: _Cyare, sushir at ni._

Cody: What did your _vod’e_ do this time?

Rex: Nothing.

Rex: Well, technically, this is a 501st problem, but we didn’t start it?

Cody: _Di’kut_.

Rex: I’m sending you over a trooper profile.

_Rex attached a text file._

Rex: I need transfer papers for him.

Cody: Rex, this is a cadet.

Cody: He’s not even 9 years old yet.

Rex: I am aware.

Cody: You know I’m going to need more of an explanation for this one.

Rex sighed audibly. He’d known that Cody would need more information, but he’d _hoped_ – rather foolishly, perhaps – that the Marshal Commander’s soft spot for his _cyare_ would help him out in this case.

His com pinged, indicating an incoming call, and Rex opened it without hesitation, smiling wanly at the sight of Cody before him.

“Rex,” Cody opened flatly.

“Cody,” Rex replied in kind.

“Are you going to explain why you are trying to adopt a cadet, or am I supposed to guess?” Cody deadpanned.

“Oh, please guess,” Rex deadpanned back, earning himself a small smile from his _cyare_.

“Did your troopers see a cute one while you were on Kamino and kidnap it?” Cody joked with a grin. When Rex didn’t immediately respond, Cody’s smile dropped into something more incredulous.

“ _Rex’ika_ , tell me that they didn’t,” the Marshal Commander of the 7th Sky Corps pleaded.

“They didn’t,” Rex reassured him quickly. “But it’s not far from the truth?”

“This is the part where you tell me the _karking_ truth,” Cody growled when Rex hesitated. “And pray to the little gods that this isn’t going to end with a veritable mountain of extra paperwork coming across my desk.”

“Blitz snuck him off Kamino with my new recruits,” Rex explained hurriedly, knowing that it was best to head Cody off before he really got himself into a snit. “I’d send him back, I really would, but Codes…”

Cody waited, watching as his _cyare_ tried to formulate the words he needed.

“They hurt him,” Rex’s voice was strangled. “He’s still an _adiik_ , Codes, and they beat him unconscious. Left him in the ‘freshers for some other cadets to find.”

Cody was silent for several long moments before he spoke, his voice carefully controlled. But Rex knew his _cyare_ better than he knew himself. He was fury and wrath, hidden beneath a thin veneer of control and professionalism.

“Send me the full medical report,” Cody bit out. “I’m assuming Trauma put together one of those?”

“ _Vor entye, cyare_ ,” Rex replied.

~~~

CT-5835 watched wearily as Captain Rex made his way across the med bay towards him. The 501st medic – Kix – stopped the Captain with a hand on his chest before he could get too close. CT-5835 couldn’t hear exactly what the medic said, but judging by his facial expression and the tight curve of his mouth as he spoke, CT-5835 guessed that it was something along the lines of the same threats, curses, and general exasperation that he had been lobbing at CT-5835 since the medic dragged him to the med bay.

“If you _karking_ upset him, I will personally kill you,” Kix threatened, his voice pitched louder as he let the Captain slip past him. “ _Tayli’bac_?”

“ _Udesii_ ,” Rex grumbled as he approached CT-5835.

For his part, CT-5835 watched him carefully. He knew that his apprehension must be clear on his face, but he found that he didn’t much care.

“ _Me’vaar ti gar_?” _How are you?_ Rex asked, his voice soft, but not gentle.

CT-5835 shrugged.

“Earlier, you said that you wanted to stay,” Rex continued, clearly unperturbed by CT-5835’s silence. “Is that still what you want?”

“It will take more than your medic to scare me away, sir,” the words were out of CT-5835’s mouth before he could stop them. He froze, clenching his jaw tightly as he waited for Captain Rex to react.

The blow he expected never came.

Instead, Captain Rex let out a low, rumbling laugh, his eyes dancing with mirth.

“You hear that, Kix?” Rex called over his shoulder. “You must be going soft.”

Kix merely glowered back.

“Here,” Rex said, holding out a data pad that CT-5835 hadn’t noticed before. “I called in some favours – Commander Cody and General Kenobi have already signed off on your posting with the 501st.”

CT-5835 took the proffered data pad, wishing that his hands would stop shaking as he read through the transfer papers on the ‘pad.

“C- Commander Cody?” CT-5835 asked incredulously.

“ _’Lek, verd’ika_ ,” Rex said with a genuine smile. “The legendary Marshal Commander himself.” 

“I – I can stay?” CT-5835 asked, looking up at Rex hopefully.

“If that’s really what you want,” Rex replied evenly. “All those forms need is my signature.”

CT-5835 didn’t hesitate to fling his arm out, all but forcing the ‘pad back into the Captain’s hands.

“Do it,” CT-5835 breathed, the hope in his small voice impossible to ignore. The Captain scrolled for a moment before pulling out a stylus to sign his name.

“Welcome to the 501st, CT-5835,” Rex said. “ _Ni kar'tayl gai sa'vod_.”

“ _Ni kar'tayl gai sa'vod_ ,” Kix repeated softly moving to stand shoulder to shoulder with his _alor’ad_.

_I know your name as my brother._


	6. Gai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every vod’e that CT-5835 found himself working with seemed intent on finding a moment to claim his as their own. For Hardcase, it was when he was showing CT-5835 how to assemble and use his Z-6 rotary blaster cannon. For Jesse, it was when CT-5835 pinned him to the mats in the training salle, panting with exhaustion as he held the older trooper down. But it was Fives who truly made CT-5835 feel as though he was a true member of the 501st, when he awoke in the dead of night, a muffled cry on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gai - Name 
> 
> Oh my God! Okay, it happening. Everybody stay calm. Today is the day that our favourite CT finally gets his name! This chapter is entirely self-indulgent fluff, friendly clone banter, with a dash of comedy to spice the whole thing up. Seriously, I had a ton of fun writing this one, but the amount of plot in this chapter is next to zero. Enjoy! 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

In the days following his arrival aboard the _Resolute_ , each of CT-5835’s new _ori’vod’e_ found a moment to claim him as their own.

For Hardcase, it was when he was showing CT-5835 how to assemble and use his Z-6 rotary blaster cannon. CT-5835 had fired off several successful rounds when Hardcase pulled him into a _mirshmure'cya_ before enthusiastically blurting out “ _Ni kar'tayl gai sa'vod_ ”.

_I know your name as my brother._

For Jesse, it was when CT-5835 pinned him to the mats in the training salle, panting with exhaustion as he held the older trooper down. CT-5835 may have been smaller in every way imaginable, but what Jesse didn’t know was that he had been sparring against larger, stronger opponents for his while life. When he pinned his _ori’vod’e_ , Jesse couldn’t help but grin up at him, the words falling of his tongue without further thought - “ _Ni kar'tayl gai sa'vod_ ”.

_I know your name as my brother._

Every _vod’e_ that CT-5835 found himself working with seemed intent on finding a moment to claim his as their own. For Coric, it was as CT-5835 worked alongside him in the med bay one evening. For Appo, it was as he showed CT-5835 how to properly clean his own armour. For Kano, it was when he begrudgingly ended up “babysitting” CT-5835 during a routine nightshift.

But it was Fives who truly made CT-5835 feel as though he was a true member of the 501st, when he awoke in the dead of night, a muffled cry on his lips.

He may have been free of Kamino, but CT-5835 had begun to believe that he would never escape the memories of his childhood.

He did his best to muffled his continued sobs as the wracked his body, curling himself around his pillow.

“5835?” Fives inquired groggily; his voice was rough with sleep.

CT-5835 didn’t answer. Instead, he merely tried harder to muffled his sobs and hiccups.

“ _Vod’ika_ ,” Fives grumbled, and CT-5835 heard his blankets ruffle as he stood up, dragging them along with him. The ARC didn’t ask for permission as he clambered into CT-5835’s bunk, using his blanket to swaddle them both more fully.

CT-5835 pressed into the warmth of his _ori’vod_ , latching onto him like a lifeline as his body continued to shake.

“ _Kuur, vod’ika,_ ” Fives murmured, pulling CT-5835 tightly against him. “ _Gar cuyir morut'yc_.”

 _You are safe_.

The murmured Mando’a was both a reassurance and a promise, and CT-5835 clung to it like a life-line, letting the sounds of Fives’ voice wash over him and calm his beating heart.

Eventually, he was able to speak.

“Sometimes, I wake up, and I forget that I’m here now,” the younger trooper admitted meekly. “Sometimes, it’s like I’m back there. Kamino.”

Fives’ chest rumbled at that, the merest hint of a growl.

He didn’t know exactly what had transpired on Kamino - CT-5835 refused to speak of it, and Rex and Kix had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped. But it had been bad enough for Commander Blitz and his _vod’e_ to risk smuggling a cadet off-world.

“ _Gar cuyir morut'yc_ ,” Fives repeated firmly. “You never have to go back to Kamino, _vod’ika_.”

“What if they find out?” CT-5835 worried aloud. “What if they take me back?”

“You’re ours now, _vod’ika_ , and no one will take you from us,” Fives reassured him, slowly pulling him up into a _mirshmure'cya_. ““ _Ni kar'tayl gai sa'vod_.”

_I know your name as my brother._

CT-5835 pressed back into Fives hold, revelling in the safety of his _ori’vod_.

“ _Vor entye, ori’vod_ ,” CT-5835 murmured back. His Mando’a was rough – he was just learning much of what his brothers already knew – but Fives grinned nonetheless.

“You called me _ori’vod_ ,” the ARC trooper replied happily.

“You call me _vod’ika_ ,” CT-5835 pointed out.

“You can hardly expect me to say CT-5835 every time I talk to you,” Fives rebutted.

“No one has ever called me anything else,” CT-5835 replied quietly.

Fives frowned at that, but remained silent.

Their _vod’ika_ had an _aliit_ now; all he needed was a name.

~~~

CT-5835 once again found himself surrounded by well-meaning _ori’vod’e_ as he relaxed in his bunk. He was curled under Fives arm, comforted by the warmth and solid presence of the ARC trooper engulfing him. Kix was stretched out on his back with a data pad in his hands, his head resting on CT-5835’s legs, while Jesse and Hardcase were sprawled on the ground between the bunks, amicably tossing a small ball between them. Captain Rex had claimed Fives’ bunk for himself, where he was working on a data pad.

“What about Tiny?” Hardcase suggested. “On account of you being so small.”

“Seriously, Hardcase?” Kix asked incredulously.

“I still maintain that Stowaway is a suitable name,” Jesse interjected.

“If you’re trying to draw attention to the fact that he was smuggled off of Kamino, sure,” Rex drawled from across the room, as if it was beneath him to have to point out the obvious.

“Is this really how you all picked your names?” CT-5835 asked incredulously.

“I named myself,” Fives announced proudly.

“After your _karking_ numbers, you _di’kut_ ,” Jesse pointed out sarcastically.

“Says the _vod_ who named himself after the first nat-born he met planetside,” Fives harrumphed.

“Every _vod_ had gotten their name in a different way,” Kix admitted with a shrug. “There’s not really any right – or wrong – way to do it.”

“Lots of _vod’e_ are named after something they do,” Hardcase interjected helpfully. “Like Havoc, or Longshot.”

“But I don’t do anything particularly… memorable,” CT-5835 pointed out.

“You hit like a _karking_ hammer,” Jesse muttered, earning himself a round of chuckles.

“You can’t name me Hammer,” CT-5835 pointed out. “ARC Trooper Hammer is already named that.”

“You really think that in an army of over a million clones, no two _vod’e_ have picked the same name?” Hardcase asked.

“Well, I suppose so, but it’s just… I know him,” CT-5835 explained somewhat nervously.

“What about Mallet?” Kix interjected, eyes fixed on his data pad.

“Kix, did you seriously look up synonyms to the word “hammer”?” Jesse groaned. “ _Kriffing_ nerd.”

“Is that a no to mallet?” Kix asked. “So, I suppose that Gavel is also out?”

“I – I think that I would prefer something simple,” CT-5835 admitted. “Like you or – or Captain Rex.”

Kix hummed and continued his search.

“What about Bang?” Hardcase interjected. “or Pound?”

“Seriously Hardcase?” Fives asked. “What the _kriff_?”

“Please do not name the shiny after any thinly veiled euphemisms for sex,” Rex drawled again. “If you do, I will make you be the one to explain his name to Commander Tano.”

Hardcase pressed a hand to his heart, doing his best to look scandalized.

“Captain, how could you assume such things of me?”

Rex finally looked up from his data pad, his voice entirely deadpan as he replied.

“Remind me, trooper, who was it that helped Shag pick his name?”

Jesse and Fives cackled mirthlessly as Hardcase flopped down dramatically with a muttered, “That was one time.”

“What about Tup?” Kix piped up, having been utterly forgotten.

“Tup?” CT-5835 repeated, rolling the word around in his mouth as he repeated it. “Tup.”

“It says here that it means “the head of a hammer”,” Kix explained briefly. “Or it can be a synonym for a male sheep, which is usually called a ram. Both fit, I think.”

“Tup,” CT-5835 repeated.

“What do you think?” Fives asked gently, tilting his head to look down at his _vod’ika_. “You don’t have to decide now.”

“I – I think that I like it,” CT-5835 admitted sheepishly. “It feels right? Does that make sense?”

“It does,” the gathered clones said in unison, setting off a round of good-natured chuckles.

Tup smiled at his _ori’vod’e_.

He had a name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tup: 1. [noun] Ram (a male sheep) // 2. [noun] A heavy metal body (especially the head of a power hammer)


	7. Haastal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Rex took his place on the training mat, rolling his shoulders to loosen his muscles as he squared up to face Tup. Admittedly, Rex hadn’t had much of a personal hand in Tup’s training, but he was tired of watching the vod’ika hold back. And he was holding back – Rex could see him pulling his punches, intentionally telegraphing his movements so that his opponent could block him, giving up when he could have easily slithered out of a hold. Rex wasn’t buying it. It was like Tup didn’t want to win. Or didn’t want them to know what he was capable of. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of child-abuse (Kamino), Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haastal - Scars (also a term for a lasting emotional scar)
> 
> So Rex is 100% a misguided shabuir here, but his intentions were good - he just has no idea how to solve problems in a way that doesn't involve fighting, and struggles with Healthy Adult Conversations™. Cue the overprotective ori'vod'e, some unsettling revelations, and more clone cuddles. The 501st is getting closer to understanding their newest vod'ika; he's just not quite ready to let them in yet. 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

Captain Rex took his place on the training mat, rolling his shoulders to loosen his muscles as he squared up to face Tup. Across from him, their youngest _vod’ika_ was already panting slightly from his earlier spar with Fives.

Rex hadn’t had much of a personal hand in Tup’s training – had left the _vod’ika_ to his _vod’e_ thus far. But he was tired of watching the _vod’ika_ hold back. And he was holding back – Rex could see him pulling his punches, intentionally telegraphing his movements so that his opponent could block him, giving up when he could have easily slithered out of a hold.

Fives – and the rest of the _vod’e_ – had chalked it up to Tup’s incomplete training. Had accepted his flaws and excuses without a second thought, too enamored with their newest _vod’ika_ to consider that he might be hiding more from them.

Rex wasn’t buying it.

It was like Tup didn’t _want_ to win.

Or didn’t want them to know what he was capable of.

He didn’t bother double checking that Tup knew the rules of engagement – he had just spent the better part of an hour sparring with Fives, and had spent untold hours throughout the week since his arrival in the training salle doing much of the same with any available _vod’e_ , since Rex had refused point-blank to add him to the active duty roster yet.

They began with a standard series of movements – movements that they both knew so well by now, they felt choreographed. Jabbing here, blocking there, throwing a kick here, dodging there. Testing one another’s strength, looking for openings and weaknesses.

Rex left several intentional openings, hoping to bait his _vod’ika_ into action, but Tup stubbornly remained on the defensive, only attacking when his defense required it of him. Rex pressed him, trying to draw him out of his shell, but Tup merely blocked and ducked, obstinately ignoring the bait.

“Scared, _vod’ika_?” Rex taunted gently, letting a smooth smirk sneak its way onto his face.

Tup didn’t respond.

With a frustrated growl, Rex landed a series of brutal jabs and kicks, forcing himself to ignore Tup’s winces as each blow landed hard and true. He didn’t _want_ to hurt their _vod’ika_ – would have preferred anything else, really – but he didn’t know any other way of drawing Tup out of his carefully constructed shell.

Still, the younger trooper refused to be drawn into the spar.

 _Enough_.

“Fight me,” Rex snarled in frustration - and launched himself at Tup.

Tup was fast – Rex had known that, had been anticipating it – and he dodged Rex’s lunge with a fluid ease. Rex didn't hesitate before he whirled and lunged for Tup again. The younger trooper hadn’t move far enough, and couldn’t dodge Rex as he grabbed him by the front of his blacks and slammed him down onto the mats. Rex’s fist connected with his face – hard – and Tup finally erupted.

The younger trooper snarled and pulled his _alor’ad_ to the mats, slamming him down beside him. Rex felt the air whoosh out of his chest as he connected with the solid floor beneath them. Before he could react, Tup had his legs around his waist and he had shoved Rex to the ground with every ounce of his considerable strength. And just like that, Rex was pinned, growling with frustration and anger.

Tup hit him, his fist connecting with face. Over, and over again.

Finally, Rex moved, and then Tup was under him again. He didn’t care that Tup had mangled his face – didn’t care about his own aching muscles and screaming joints as he growled, “There you are, _vod’ika_.”

Tup growled back, thrashing wildly as he sought to throw Rex off, lashing out with fists and rage, scrambling at Rex’s wrists.

Rex was immovable above him, a solid force of will as he pinned the younger trooper to the mats.

“Enough, Tup,” Rex ordered, slamming his weight back down onto Tup’s shoulders. Tup merely snarled back, shoving into the hold. Out of control. Rex loosened his grip, and Tup launched at him with a feral sound.

Rex slammed his fist into Tup’s face before he flipped him, pinning him to the mats facedown with a heavy knee in his back, and a forearm pressing a crushing weight onto his shoulders.

“Stay down, trooper,” Rex ordered again.

But still Tup writhed against him, the order not piercing wherever he had gone when his control had slipped. And yet, his movements, as wild as they were, were still purposeful. Intentional jabs of his elbow into Rex’s side, the impact of his skull against Rex’s chest – all part of a purposeful series of movements to wear his opponent down.

 _And they karking hurt_.

“ _Taylir_ ,” _Hold,_ Rex breathed, and the trooper beneath him froze, muscles tensing as the order broke through whatever feral fog he had lost himself to.

Responding to a training command used only by the _Cuy'val Dar –_ who had not had a hand in training standard trooper on Kamino since before Geonosis.

Responding to a training command used by command track, ARC’s, and commandos.

Rex was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice his _vod’e_ ’s approach until Fives bodily threw him off of Tup, snarling in his face.

“What the _kark_?” Fives snarled, shoving Rex away from where Tup was still laying face down on the mats. Kix was hovering over him now, clearly checking him for any serious injuries. Between them, Fives looked like he was spoiling for a fight.

Rex crossed his arms and glowered at the ARC Trooper.

“Haven’t you wondered?” Rex asked sharply. “What he was holding back – and why?”

“Doesn’t matter what I thought,” Fives growled back. “Didn’t end with me slamming the _vod’ika_ into the ground and splitting his _kriffing_ face open.”

There was an accusation there – but worry too.

“He’s a soldier, Fives,” Rex reminded the ARC. “I may be able to keep him off the battlefield until he’s of age, but that’s not forever.”

“Doesn’t mean we need to be the ones to break him,” Jesse interjected, glowering at Rex.

Rex growled, rubbing at his bruised and aching face. This wasn’t an argument he was going to win – not against Tup’s self-proclaimed _ori’vod’e_.

 _Karking mother nexu_.

When he finally looked up, Fives was already bundling Tup out of the training salle – likely off to the ‘fresher to clean up. Rex made to follow them, but Kix stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Not so fast, sir,” Kix said. “Some of those cuts on your face looks like they might need some bacta – if not stitches.”

Rex sighed, but knew better than to argue.

“Told you he hits like a _karking_ speeder truck,” Jesse commented blandly.

~~~

Tup rested his head against the cool tile in front of him, letting the cool water of the ‘fresher wash over his aching muscles. He shut his eyes, piecing his splintered consciousness together. Rex had pushed him over a precipice – had shoved him back into a dark and dangerous place that he had carefully avoided since leaving Kamino.

He _hated_ it.

Behind him, the door to the ‘fresher opened, but it was too late.

Tup heard his brother’s footsteps come to a halt. Heard his breath catch, harsh enough that Tup finally looked over his shoulder.

Fives was halfway across the ‘fresher, his eyes on Tup’s bare back.

Positioned as he was, stretched forward to rest his forehead against the wall, Fives could easily see the whole expanse of ruined flesh, each raised scar on his back.

“Who did that to you?”

It would have been easy to lie, but Tup was so tired. So tired of lying, so tired of showering at strange times, so tired of changing with his back turned towards a wall. And still, he couldn’t say the words he knew that Fives wanted to hear.

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Then where,” Fives bit out. “When.”

“You know where,” Tup replied tiredly.

Fives was so still that Tup wondered if he’d stopped breathing.

“How long?” he asked after a moment. Tup braced himself for the pity, but his face was so carefully blank – no, not blank. Calm with lethal rage.

“Long enough,” Tup answered shortly. He was too exhausted, the memories to raw in the wake of his spar with Rex, to say the rest of it.

“Who.”

Tup merely shook his head. Fives opened his mouth again, then instead shut it and swallowed. Then he turned on his heel and shut the door behind him without another word.

~~~

His back.

Fives stormed through the non-descript hallways of the _Resolute_ , half-wishing that someone – anyone – would get in his way, just to give him an outlet for the rage simmering beneath his skin.

Instead, his _vod’e_ scampered out of his way after one look at the rage simmering in his expression.

The ARC trooper had seen plenty of harrowing injuries during the war, on his friends and enemies alike. In the grand sense of things, Fives knew that Tup’s back wasn’t even close to some of those wounds. Yet when he had seen Tup’s back, his heart a clean stopped – and there had been an overwhelming silence in his mind ever since.

Kix and Rex had to know. Had intentionally hidden this information from the rest of the _vod’e_. Had lied by omission. They had to know. Had to know what their _vod’ika_ had gone through. Kix, at least, would have seen the injuries first-hand when he had conducted his medical evaluation that first day. Rex would have seen the medical report, if not the scars themselves.

Fives was almost back to the training salle now, his heart still hammering and his mind full of wrath. Tup hadn’t even grown into his man’s body when someone – someone on Kamino – hurt him like that.

Why hadn’t anyone told him?

Fives paused before the doors to the training salle, his mind still reeling. He wanted to charge in and demand answers of his _baar’ur_ and _alor’ad_ , but doing so would expose Tup’s secret to anyone else who was present.

Tup… Tup had not trusted them, had not wanted them to know…

With a low growl, Fives turned on his heel and began storming back the way he had come just moments before. He’d left his _vod’ika_ alone and injured – and probably hurting too, from a perceived abandonment. He had not handled the revelation the way he should have.

Right now, his _vod’ika_ needed him more than Fives needed answers.

~~~

Tup was still standing under the now frigid stream of water in the ‘fresher, but he was so cold and drained that he hardly noticed it anymore.

He didn’t want to think about what it meant that Fives had left like he had, but he did, his heart aching and cramping with hurt and sadness. His _ori’vod_ had seen the truth of him – had seen the ugliness and fragility that he had tried to keep hidden – and had walked away without another word.

When the ‘fresher door slid open again, Tup found that he was too cold and sore to move at all. Regardless, it no longer mattered whether or not he hid his back – Fives had walked away from him, and soon all of his vod’e would know of his weakness.

Behind him, there was a rustle of a towel and before he could muster up the energy to turn, Fives had wrapped him in its fluffy warmth and scooped him up.

If he’d had the energy, he might have objected, but he didn’t. Instead, he snuggled closer to the warmth of his _ori’vod_ as Fives carried him back to the ARC berthing.

When they arrived, Tup found himself swaddled in several warm blankets – more than were usually present on his bed – and then he felt Fives crawl in beside him, armor discarded in favor of his blacks. Tup snuggled closer, unable to hold back a contented sigh as Fives wrapped him up in his arms.

“I don’t want your pity,” Tup said.

“This is not pity,” Fives chest rumbled against Tup as he spoke. “You, Kix, Rex – you all decided to keep this from me.”

“Fives –“

“ _Vod’e_ take care of their _aliit_ , _vod’ika_ ,” Fives interrupted. “You’re _ours_ now – and we are yours. But we can’t keep you safe if you won’t let us in.”

Tup wrapped his own arms around his _ori’vod_ , tugging him impossibly closer.

“At first, I was afraid that you and the others would see me as weaker for it,” Tup admitted softly. “Then, I didn’t want you to pity me. And more than any of that, I never wanted you to think of it as an excuse.”

“Like a good soldier,” Fives replied. He took a long breath before he spoke again. “I know that you won’t – or can’t – tell me who did this to you. But it does not make you weak, Tup. The fact that you’ve not given up – that you continue to push forward – makes you stronger than any of us.”

“I wasn’t strong enough to make them stop,” Tup whispered miserably, fighting back tears.

Fives withdrew slightly to grip his chin, drawing him face up until their eyes met.

“What was done to you was not your fault,” Fives replied firmly. “The fault lies solely with whatever _shabuir_ thought it acceptable to hurt a child. Never with you.”

Tup let loose a true sob then, prompting Fives to wrap him up in his arms, smothering him in love and affection. Slowly, Tup relaxed in his _ori’vod_ ’s hold, letting his mind drift.

At some point, Kix tried to visit to see if he was still alive after his disastrous spar with Rex, took one look at Fives’ stone cold face, heard the ripple of a growl from the ARC trooper, and took off without another word.

“Now you’re just being over protective,” Tup rumbled out in a sleepy laugh against his chest.

Fives harrumphed.

“ _Slanar at nuhoy, vod’ika_ ,” _Go to sleep, little brother_ , Fives grumbled back. “ _Ni cuy' hukaat'kama.”_

_I am watching your back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by a similar scene in Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas. If you are a fan of Fantasy, Fae, and badass female characters, I highly recommend checking out her Throne of Glass series!


	8. Yaim’ol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tup shifted from foot to foot anxiously as he waited between Fives and Jesse for the dropship to begin its descent to Kamino. Across from them, Hardcase was standing shoulder to shoulder with Coric, while Rex was near the front of the dropship, deep in conversation with Kix and Commander Tano, who would be accompanying them planet side, while General Skywalker oversaw the planetary defense from aboard the Resolute. For once, Tup was glad for the windowless dropship – at least he wouldn’t have to see Tipoca City before he absolutely had to. However, the thought of being back on Kamino within mere minutes drew up the nausea he had been fighting hard to contain as they neared the planet that so many clones viewed it as their home world. But not Tup.
> 
> Kamino would never be his home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaim’ol (Homecoming)
> 
> At long last, it is time for Tup to go "home" and face his demons. This time though, he'll have his aliit - aka plenty of angry, overprotective ori'vod'e - to watch his back. And that doesn't just mean Torrent - it's time for our favourite Rancor vod'e to make their triumphant return too! Maybe returning to Kamino wouldn’t be so bad after all?
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

[OPEN COMMUNICATION]

Cody: _Cyar’ika_ , the briefing will be coming through within the hour, but I wanted to warn you ahead of time.

Rex: If you say Felucia, I am launching myself out the nearest airlock.

Cody: You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are.

Cody: Republic Intelligence has learned of a new Separatist threat to Kamino. The _Kaminiise_ want extra troopers on planet in case it turns out to be a viable threat like last time.

Rex: Let me guess – the 501st is the closest available unit.

Cody: _Serim_.

Rex: The _vod’ika_ isn’t going to let us leave him behind – he’s already been getting testy about Fives being overprotective, and so far as I can tell, all Fives has done is make him shower more often and eat more regularly.

Cody: Sounds like a certain _vod’ika_ I remember from Kamino.

Rex: _Kark off_.

Cody: Watch your profanity, _Rex'ika_. 

Rex: I have heard you say worse. 

Cody: Just talk to your _vod’ika,_ you obstinate _di'kut_. 

Rex: _Vor entye, cyare_ – at least I can warn him, so he’s not caught off guard in the general briefing.

Cody: _Jate’kara, cyar’ika_.

[END COMMUNICATION]

~~~

Tup was reluctantly cramming extra rations into his mouth (under Fives’ watchful eye) when Captain Rex approached their table. He swallowed quickly, not wanting to be caught unawares.

Their _alor’ad_ had apologized after their disastrous spar and the ensuing fallout, and had since made good on his promise to help with Tup’s training in a more official capacity – but Tup still felt a bit apprehensive around him. He had seen through Tup’s barriers, had been able to tear them down.

It made Tup nervous.

“Sir,” Tup acknowledged Rex’s presence – he was the only one to do so quite so formally though. The other _vod’e_ at their table – all Torrent – merely grumbled a quick hello before turning back to their food. 

“Do you have a moment?” Rex asked, eyes locked on Tup’s own.

“Yes, sir,” Tup replied, rising to follow his _alor’ad_. Fives watched them go, but made no move to intervene or follow – Tup had made it clear that he needed to resolve the tension between himself and their Captain himself.

Once they were alone, seated at an empty mess table, Rex cleared his throat, eyeing Tup almost apprehensively.

“Our latest briefing will be coming through within the hour, but I wanted to warn you ahead of time,” Rex began, the words sounding rehearsed – almost robotic. “Republic Intelligence has learned of a new Separatist threat to Kamino. They want extra troopers on planet in case it turns out to be a viable threat like last time.”

Tup didn’t respond – couldn’t have if he wanted to.

His mind was suddenly filled with a terrifying emptiness.

“Tup?” Rex asked gently.

“We – we’re going to Kamino?” Tup choked out at last, his voice unbearably small.

“ _’Lek_ ,” Rex responded. “The 501st is going to Kamino.”

“Fives said that I would never have to go back to Kamino,” Tup muttered, more to himself than to the Captain.

Rex heard him anyways, and reached out to touch his vambrace with surprising gentleness.

“You can stay aboard the _Resolute_ during our time planet side, _vod’ika_ ,” Rex offered. “There’s plenty of work to be done up here, and I am sure that the Companies staying onboard would be happy to have an extra pair of hands.”

Tup looked at him sharply then, the terrifying emptiness in his mind finally overpowered by the sheer idiocy of the clone before him.

“Torrent isn’t going to Kamino without me,” Tup growled. He couldn’t care less that Torrent Company was an elite military unit – his _vod’e_ wouldn’t be going planet side without him watching their backs.

Even if the thought of being back in Tipoca City made his blood run cold.

“I had a feeling you might say that,” Rex replied.

Just then, his com beeped, indicating an incoming call. Rex answered it without hesitation, drawing up a shimmering blue hologram of General Skywalker and Commander Tano.

“General, Commander,” Rex said by way of greeting.

“Rex, we’ve got new directives,” General Skywalker replied. “We’ll be having a briefing on the bridge shortly.”

“Understood, sir,” Rex replied, already moving to stand. “I will be there shortly.”

The com ended and the hologram vanished, leaving nothing but silence between Tup and his _alor’ad_.

“Do you want me to call Fives or one of the others over?” Rex asked, his expression uncharacteristically gently. Tup shook his head.

“I just – I need to be alone,” Tup admitted. “Thank-you, for the warning.”

Rex smiled sadly before he lifted his bucket and secured it back in place. As he made to leave the mess, he patted Tup’s shoulder gently, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

~~~

Tup shifted from foot to foot anxiously as he waited between Fives and Jesse for the dropship to begin its descent to Kamino. Across from them, Hardcase was standing shoulder to shoulder with Coric, while Rex was near the front of the dropship, deep in conversation with Kix and Commander Tano, who would be accompanying them planet side, while General Skywalker oversaw the planetary defense from aboard the _Resolute_.

“Are you sure about this?” Fives’ voice crackled out through the internal com in Tup’s helmet. Even without being able to see his _vod’e_ ’s facial expression, Tup knew that Fives was worried.

He’d made his feelings about Tup accompanying them on tis particular mission quite clear – and when Tup had refused to relent, Fives and Jesse had attached themselves to Tup like particularly sticky glim worms.

Which was why Tup was currently squished between two of Torrent’s most senior members, instead of being where he belonged with the other shinies, like Oz, Ringo, and Dogma, at the back of the transport.

“For the last time, I am _fine_ ,” Tup growled back. Fives tilted his helmet, clearly meaning to reply – only to be interrupted by the roar of the LAAT/i as Hawk began their descent to Kamino at last.

Tup was glad for the windowless dropship – at least he wouldn’t have to see Tipoca City before he absolutely had to. However, the thought of being back on Kamino within mere minutes drew up the nausea he had been fighting hard to contain, and Tup couldn’t help but lean against Fives as they neared their destination.

The ARC Trooper didn’t hesitate to snake an arm around Tup’s waist, steadying him against his own body. On his other side, Jesse pressed closer, a comforting presence against him as they neared the planet that so many clones viewed it as their home world.

But not Tup.

A sudden jostling of their dropship indicated that they were landing in the docking bay. Tup and the others shuffled, preparing to exit the dropship as soon as Hawk gave them the all-clear.

“You are clear to disembark, Commander,” came Hawk’s voice through their coms. Commander Tano nodded to Rex, indicating that he could take the lead with the gathered troops.

“You heard Hawk,” Rex’s voice rang out around them, echoing softly through the confined space. “Once he opens the loading doors and drops the gangplank, we’ll make our way out into the hangar in a nice, orderly fashion.”

“Yes, sir!” the troopers parroted back, drawing a wry smile to Ahsoka’s face as she stepped up to Rex’s shoulder.

“General Shaak Ti and Commander Blitz of Rancor Battalion will be waiting for us,” Ahsoka explained. “Captain Rex, Commander Blitz, and I are expected at a debrief with General Shaak Ti and the Kaminoan Prime Minister, Lama Su, so we’ll be leaving you to Rancor Battalion to get settled.”

“Yes, sir!” the troopers parroted back once again as the loading doors finally opened, the gangplank extending in unison.

As promised, General Shaak Ti was waiting, Blitz at her shoulder. Behind them, several members of Rancor Battalion were also standing at attention, drawing Tup’s eye. He spotted Hammer almost right away, and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his _vod’e_.

He loved Torrent, but he had missed Rancor too.

“Padawan Tano,” General Shaak Ti greeted the younger Togruta, who paused to bow respectfully.

“Master Ti, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Ahsoka responded, a genuine smile on her face. General Shaak Ti smiled back, her expression equally warm.

“Come, let’s leave the troopers to get settled,” General Shaak Ti gestured, already beginning to move away. “We have much to discuss, and it is best not to leave Lama Su waiting.”

“Of course, Master,” Ahsoka replied, falling into step beside the older Togruta, leaving Rex and Blitz to trail behind them. Once they had exited the hangar, the clones moved into action, Trauma appearing from thin air to assist Kix, Jesse, and Hammer in barking out commands.

“Fives, Tup, you’ll assist Trauma in delivering the medical supplies we brought to the Med Bay,” Kix called out, prompting the two clones into action. They moved together to help unload the crates of medical supplies, carefully stacking them on the waiting hover cart under Trauma’s watchful gaze.

“CT-5835?” Trauma asked suddenly, stepping towards Tup.

The younger clone froze, nearly causing Fives to trip over him in the process.

“It’s Tup now,” Tup forced out. If someone heard…

Trauma let out a strangled laugh and pulled Tup into a hug, crushing armor against armor before he pulled away, holding Tup at an arm’s length so that he could inspect him fully.

“You’ve gotten taller,” Trauma observed happily. “And you’re filling out too. Is Torrent feeding you enough? Are you eating enough? What about your training?”

“I – yes – I – Fives?” Tup stuttered, trying and failing to answer the sudden onslaught of questions. At his somewhat desperate plea, Fives’ helmeted head popped up from behind the crate he was currently moving.

“If he’s gotten taller and he’s filling out, we’re clearly feeding and training him,” Fives drawled sarcastically. “What do you think we are – a bunch of _jetiise_? We know how to take care of ourselves and our _vod'e_.”

Trauma didn’t deign to reply to the ARC Trooper; instead, he looked over his shoulder and bellowed, “Hammer”!

The other ARC stomped over without hesitation, leaving Jesse to oversee whatever the others were doing as he joined the _baar’ur_.

“What, Trauma?”

Trauma gestured wildly at Tup’s entire person, causing Hammer to pause and assess the shiny in front of him. Tup saw the moment that the realization hit him – he visibly tensed, his helmeted head whipping sideways to face Fives.

“What is he doing planet side?” Hammer demanded. “Are you all _dikut’la_?”

Fives huffed, setting down the crate in his arms, clearly spoiling for a fight with the other ARC. Tup beat him to it.

“And here I was, thinking that you would be happy to see me,” Tup drawled, letting just a hint of anger slip into his voice. He was tired of his _ori’vod’e_ hovering and placating, behaving like mother nexu whenever the opportunity arose. “I chose to come – refused to stay behind, actually. And yes, if you must know, Torrent isn’t happy about it – we had a big _karking_ argument about it before shipping out, actually.”

Hammer stood in silence for several long moments before barking out a laugh, sweeping Tup into a crushing hug of his own.

“Glad to see that you’re still just as prickly and stubborn as ever, _verd’ika_ ,” Hammer chortled.

“Glad to see that you’re just as stupid as ever,” Tup grumbled, squirming out of his hold to glower at the ARC, arms crossed. He knew that he probably looked like a petulant _adiik_ to them – he simply didn’t care.

“If you’re all done whatever that was, do you think you could actually help out?” Kix growled, stalking towards the group.

Tup wasn’t ashamed to admit that he squeaked in fear before leaping back into action, ignoring the laughter of his _ori’vod’e_ around him.

Maybe returning to Kamino wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting twice in one week? How revolutionary!


	9. At Khekemir Ke'gyce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several days had passed without incident, and Tup was beginning to truly believe that returning to Kamino wouldn’t turn out so bad after all. Rex had ensured that Tup was always posted with a senior member of Torrent when he had guard duty, the troopers ate in a different mess than the cadets, and their bunks were safely tucked away near Rancor’s, far from the hallways and haunts that Tup was familiar with. That is, until he a Fives stumbled across a familiar face. 
> 
> Walon Vau.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At Khekemir Ke'gyce - To Follow Orders
> 
> Tup is finally "home", but his naïve (or perhaps hopeful) thought that returning to Kamino wouldn’t be so bad after all is about to be shattered. This time though, he'll have his aliit - aka plenty of angry, overprotective ori'vod'e - to watch his back. And that doesn't just mean Torrent - it's time for our favourite Rancor vod'e to make their triumphant return too! 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

Tup and Fives walked shoulder to shoulder as they slowly made their way back to the barracks that had been assigned to Torrent for the duration of their posting on Kamino.

Several days had passed without incident, and Tup was beginning to truly believe that returning to Kamino wouldn’t turn out so bad after all. Rex had ensured that Tup was always posted with a senior member of Torrent when he had guard duty, the troopers ate in a different mess than the cadets, and their bunks were safely tucked away near Rancor’s, far from the hallways and haunts that Tup was familiar with.

“Are you going to go visit Rancor tonight?” Fives asked as they walked, nudging Tup gently to draw him out of his reverie.

“Hammer invited me to pay Sabacc with them,” Tup admitted with a shrug. “Do you want to come?”

“A chance to fleece Rancor for all they’re worth?” Fives sounded positively delighted at the prospect. “Absolutely, _vod’ika_.”

“Fives, you can’t cheat,” Tup groaned as they rounded the corner, fighting to keep the laughter out of his voice. Between one moment and the next he froze, Fives moving into attention at his side.

Walon Vau.

Tup wasn’t sure he was breathing, wasn’t entirely sure his brain was still functioning. The _Cuy'val Dar_ weren’t supposed to be here. This was trooper territory – their barracks, their mess, their training salles. It was supposed to be _safe._

Somehow, Tup matched Fives’ stance as he saluted the _Cuy'val Dar_ member respectfully, glad that his bucket hid his face.

_“You have to know the limits of your physical and mental endurance, so you can recognize them and pass beyond them. That is why I push you beyond any suffering you can imagine, do you understand?”_

“At ease,” Vau ordered, and both clones fell into a comfortable parade rest, Tup following the familiar order as if on auto-pilot.

Tup didn’t dare move – hardly dared breathe. Before him, Walon Vau still cut an imposing figure, just as tall and athletic as Tup remembered him being. His black armour was immaculate, and his pet strill was perched calmly on his shoulder.

It was as if he had materialized straight from Tup’s nightmares.

_“I had hoped that you could be something more. Instead, you would lie here. You would give up and die like lesser men. You would crack up like lesser men. You would lose heart in the direst circumstances like lesser men.”_

“You two are with the 501st, I presume?” Vau asked.

“Yes, sir,” Fives answered stoically. “ARC-5555, sir.”

When Tup didn’t immediately speak up, Vau turned to him, an eyebrow raised. Tup didn’t want to answer – knew that Vau hadn’t forgotten him. Would find him, once he knew that he was back on Kamino. But he had no choice.

Good soldiers always followed orders.

_“You are a weakling, CT-5835. And you will always do the easy thing and give up.”_

“CT-5835, sir,” Tup said.

Surprise flashed across Vau’s face – gone in a moment, as if it had never been there – but Tup knew.

Vau had heard, and he remembered.

“Very good,” Vau replied, his gaze still boring into Tup. “As you were.”

Fives fell in beside Tup as the younger clone walked away without another word, his movements jerky and uncontrolled. He hadn’t turned his coms off, so Fives heard the moment that his breath turned ragged and uneven, as if he was gasping for air.

_“I could make you great. Stronger. Faster. Better.”_

“Tup -” Fives began, only to be cut off as Tup lurched forward, collapsing to the ground. “ _Kark_ – Tup, talk to me, _vod’ika_.”

The ARC Trooper yanked Tup’s helmet off, tossing it aside as he frantically searched for any sign of an injury or trauma that he _knew_ wasn’t there – he and Tup had been practically joined at the hip all day. When he didn’t find any, Fives feverishly punched Kix’s frequency into his comlink, barely waiting to hear the tell-tale click of the medic responding to the call.

_Vau pressed the cool point of the vibroblade in his hand more firmly against the skin of his neck, and Tup didn’t bother restraining his flinch at that, twitching away from the cool bite of steel against his throat. Vau simply laughed._

“Don’t,” Tup choked out, thrashing wildly before he gasped for air again. “Stop.”

“ _Gaa’tayl,_ Kix,” Fives pleaded. “Something is wrong with Tup.”

Kix cursed, and Fives could hear the sounds of the _baar’ur_ moving around as he spoke.

“Describe his symptoms to me,” Kix ordered.

“Difficulty breathing, pale and clammy skin, verbally non-responsive,” Fives listed off what he could, drawing on the basic Field Medicine Training that all ARC’s had. “His pulse is elevated as well, and he collapsed.”

_Vau pushed his blade harder against Tup collarbone, finally drawing blood. Tup let out a whimper, but he held as Vau watched the blood trickle down his chest until it met the hem of his shirt, disappearing from sight._

“ _Gev!_ ” Tup shrieked suddenly, the line between reality and memory blurring as panic seized his body.

“I have a lock on your location, I am on my way,” Kix cut in. “Do your best to keep him still and as calm as possible until I get there.”

“Kix, I’m trying, what’s wrong with him?” Fives was desperate as he all but shouted into his comlink while carefully cradling Tup’s head in his lap.

“I don’t know, Fives,” Kix admitted, and he sounded slightly breathless as he spoke. “But I have Trauma and Coric with me – we’ll be there soon, just stay calm.”

_“You’ll do well, CT-5835. You’ll do well.”_

Tup thrashed against Fives’ hold, but the ARC held firm, muttering a calming mix of Mando’a and Basic as he waited for the medics to arrive.

“ _Nayc_ ,” Tup sobbed as he thrashed. “ _Nayc, nayc, nayc!”_

Kix didn’t even stop running before he dropped, sliding up to Tup and Fives, med kit in hand. Trauma and Coric followed, the latter dropping beside Kix while Coric stood behind them, sharp eyes watching the corridor for potential threats.

“ _Kuur, vod’ika_ ,” Kix reassured Tup as he ran a reassuring hand through his hair. “Fives, I’m going to need you to keep him as still as you can so Trauma can administer a hypo.”

Fives nodded grimly, tightening his hold. For a moment, Tup froze, and Trauma seized the opportunity, jabbing Tup’s neck with the hypo before he started thrashing again.

“What happened?” Kix asked, his eyes never leaving Tup.

“Nothing,” Fives replied desperately. “We just finished a duty shift.”

“Did he eat anything?” Trauma pressed. “Did anyone touch him?”

“No, no, nothing,” Fives replied.

“And you were together the entire time?”

“Yes!” Fives all but shouted. “We had our duty shift – just watching another empty _karking_ hallway like usual – and we were walking back to barracks. We just ran into Walon Vau – you know the one, black armour, pet strill – and…”

Fives trailed off, his gaze dropping down to Tup, who had stopped thrashing at some point during his ran, the hypo dragging him down into an unnatural sleep.

“Fives?”

Fives didn’t speak as he slowly rose to his feet, gently depositing Tup into Kix’s lap. The other clones watched Fives as he stood, trading silent glances at the impossible fury rolling off Fives in waves. Even with his bucket on – without the Force – Fives’ rage was a palpable, physical thing.

“I am going to kill that _shabuir_ ,” Fives roared suddenly, whirling to punch the nearest wall with the full force of his wrath. He cursed, but turned as though intending to hunt Vau down that moment, only to be tackled to the ground by Coric.

“Stay down, Fives,” Coric growled. “Killing a member of the _Cuy'val Dar_ isn’t going to help Tup right now, you insufferable _di’kut_ of an ARC.”

“Vau?” Trauma asked incredulously. “He was on our list, but… Blitz and Hammer essentially wrote him off weeks ago. He can be brutal, yes, but he always takes care of his clones. Refuses to pass the training of his clones off onto another – and he exclusively trains Commando Clones.”

Kix looked down at Tup’s unconscious form in his lap, his voice soft.

“If that encounter is what spurred this reaction, I have no doubt that Vau is the cause,” Kix replied. “Honestly, it took Rex essentially beating Tup to a pulp to get any reaction out of him.”

“Rex did _what_?” Trauma demanded.

“You can argue with him about it later – Force knows the rest of us already have,” Kix grumbled tiredly. “The point is, Tup doesn’t react like this for no reason. He was completely out of control – hyperventilating, hallucinating, completely unaware of his surroundings.”

Fives growled from where he was still pinned to the floor, trying in vain to displace Coric.

“Stay down, Fives,” Coric mumbled.

“No, let him up,” Kix interjected with a sigh. “We can’t just keep Tup on the floor here forever – Fives can carry him back to the barracks and keep watch while he’s out.”

Kix didn’t bother saying what his _vod’e_ knew – that Fives was unlikely to let Tup out of his sight, and he was only tolerating the fact that Kix was currently holding his _vod’ika_ because he’d momentarily been blinded by a poorly conceived homicidal rage.

Corci shifted, and Fives threw him off, scrambling up to stalk over to Kix and scoop up his _vod’ika_. Tup was still lighter than most _vod’e_ , but he was heavy in his full kit. Fives cradled him close with a surprising gentleness nonetheless.

“Coric, you take point on escorting Fives and Tup back to the barracks,” Kix instructed. “I need to report this to Rex, and I imagine that Trauma will be giving a similar report to Blitz shortly.”

“Yes, sir,” Coric replied, falling into step a pace ahead of Fives as he began to move out. Kix and Trauma nodded to one another before breaking off, heading back the way they had come.

~~~

When they arrived in the barracks assigned to Torrent, Fives wasted no time settling Tup into his own bunk, ignoring the inquiring eyes of the _vod’e_. He trusted Coric to deal with their _osik_ , and he wasn’t disappointed when Jesse tried to approach, only to be headed off by the _baar’ur_ , a firm hand on his chest.

“What happened to him?” Jesse demanded, slapping Coric’s hand away.

“Have we been attacked?” Dogma inquired from his own bunk.

“Of course we haven’t been,” Hardcase scoffed. “Think they’d let us keep lounging around here if Kamino was under attack?”

“Shut up, you _di’kuts_ ,” Ringo interjected.

Fives let his _vod’e_ ’s bickering fall away into a blur of noise as he focused on settling Tup in his bunk, gently removing his armour and tucking him into the threadbare blankets. Tup murmured against his touch, but remained firmly asleep.

No sooner than the ARC trooper had finished did the doors to the barracks open again, Kix trailing Captain Rex. With his bucket in hand, there wasn’t a _vod’e_ who could have missed the wrath and rage on their _alor’ad_ ’s face as he stormed towards Fives.

“It is true?” Rex demanded as he approached. “Did Walon Vau...?”

Rex’s voice choked off as he looked around Fives at Tup, the rage on his face softening slightly as he took in their sleeping _vod’ika_.

“We can’t know for sure until he wakes up, but…” Fives began. “I think it was, though.”

Rex nodded once, his expression tightening again.

“Stay with him,” Rex replied. “I won’t allow anyone who isn’t _vod’e_ in here; _Cuy'val Dar_ or not, they won’t be getting past me.”

“Or me,” Blitz added from the doorway. “That _shabuir_ is never going to touch Tup again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was hoping to wrap this fic up in a nice, even 10 chapters, but it has undoubtedly gotten away from me... so we're looking at 11-12 chapters instead. Ooops?


	10. Ruusaan bal Cabuor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tup came to slowly, feeling as though he was fighting his way towards consciousness through murky waters. As he did, he became aware of a warm presence at his side, pressing against him from shoulder to calf. Then, all at once, he remembered. Walon Vau. The trooper sat up suddenly, his breath catching in his throat as he remembered his last moments before losing consciousness.
> 
> Walon Vau that he was here, on Kamino with the 501st.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruusaan bal Cabuor - Trust and Protect
> 
> Tup is awake, and the 501st finally knows who hurt the youngest among them. They are not happy, and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep him safe - which brings Tup to a realization. He had found an aliit – and a home - and it was time that he shared the truth of his past with them. Even if it hurts. 
> 
> TW: Discussions of child abuse, implied murder/harm. 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

Tup came to slowly, feeling as though he was fighting his way towards consciousness through murky waters. As he did, he became aware of a warm presence at his side, pressing against him from shoulder to calf.

Walon Vau.

Tup sat up suddenly, his breath catching in his throat as he remembered his last moments before losing consciousness.

Walon Vau had _seen_ him.

He knew that he was here, on Kamino.

Walon Vau knew that he was with the 501st.

He likely knew where their barracks were.

“Hey, _Tup’ika_ , hey,” a hand reached up to grab Tup’s arm, pulling him back down onto a warm, familiar chest. “Breathe, _vod’ika_ , _gar cuyir morut'yc_ , you’re safe.”

Tup gasped for air as he let himself be held against Fives’ chest, taking comfort in the reassuring presence of his _ori’vod_.

After several long minutes, his breathing calmed, and Tup found himself thinking more clearly. Fives had said that he was safe with such certainty…

“Fives?” Tup asked uncertainly, tilting his head up to look at the ARC trooper. This close, he could see the muscles in Fives’ jaw contract as he ground his teeth, clearly working to control his voice – and choose his words carefully.

“Rex and Commander Blitz are standing guard outside the doors to the barracks,” Fives said at last, his voice tight. “They won’t allow anyone who isn’t _vod’e_ in here; _Cuy'val Dar_ or not.”

“You figured it out, then?”

“I know that Rex may have led you to believe otherwise, but I am not a complete _di’kut_ ,” Fives rumbled. “I just – I just wish that I had known.”

“Would knowing have helped?” Tup asked bitterly. “Would it have made a difference?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so _karking_ useless,” Fives muttered bitterly. “You were just – you were _gone_ Tup, like after you sparred with Rex. Except this time…”

“It wasn’t just my mind out of control,” Tup interrupted. “My body was out of control too.”

“Exactly,” the ARC trooper agreed. “And at first, I had no idea _why_ , or _how_ to help you. And then – then I realized that it was _him_ …”

“He almost committed a very poorly conceived homicide,” Kix interjected blandly, moving to kneel beside the bed. “How are you feeling, _vod’ika_?”

The _baar’ur_ ’s voice was soft, gentler than it usually was, and it raised an unreasonable ire in Tup’s mind.

“I don’t want your pity,” Tup snarled back, trying to raise himself up. Fives’ arm pinned him down, the other coming up to smack him gently over the head.

“ _Luubid_ , _vod’ika_ ,” Fives growled. “We’ve already talked about this, you _atin di’kut_. This is not pity – not from me, not from Kix, and certainly not from your Commanding Officers who are currently standing on guard outside these barracks. _Vod’e_ take care of their _aliit_ , _vod’ika_.”

“Fives is right,” Kix admitted grudgingly. “More than that, you are my patient. If you are not okay, you can bet I will be hauling your _shebs_ to the med bay.”

Tup gave up his struggle, melting back against Fives’ body bonelessly.

“I’m fine, Kix,” Tup replied without meeting the _baar’ur_ ’s eyes. “So, you can go tell Rex, or Blitz, or whoever expects a report, that there’s nothing wrong with me. I just want to be left alone.”

Kix looked over Tup to Fives to find the same concern he felt mirrored in the ARC trooper’s expression. Tup was not alright – but he knew better than to push when their _vod’ika_ had dug his heels in.

“Fine, you’re fine,” Kix grumbled back as he stood to leave. “Why I put up with you _karking di’kuts_ , I will never understand.”

Tup didn’t deign to reply, merely tucked himself in more firmly to Fives’ side, and closed his eyes. Mercifully, the older trooper remained silent, seemingly content to run his fingers through Tup’s hair. He had begun to let it grow longer than regulation during his time with Torrent, and the sensation was soothing as Fives’ fingers deftly worked through small snags and knots.

After awhile, Tup let himself drift again, content in his _ori’vod’_ s embrace.

~~~

Rex leaned against the cool durasteel wall nonchalantly, sizing up the Commander across from him. Sure, he _knew_ Blitz – in the sense that every _vod_ knew one another – but he didn’t _know_ Blitz. At least, not enough to trust him with Tup’s safety.

“You should go get some sleep,” Blitz tried dryly. “You were working with the _jetiise_ on defence plans all day.”

“So were you,” Rex fired back without hesitation.

“Maybe,” Blitz observed. “But I don’t look like something the bantha dragged in.”

“Sure of that, are you?” Rex quipped. “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

Blitz huffed but thankfully dropped the subject, shifting slightly against his own patch of the durasteel wall. At least, he dropped it for a few moments.

“Come on, Rex,” Blitz tried again. “You can keep watch just as well from inside your barracks as you can out here. Go work on reports or something, if it makes you feel better, but get off your _karking_ feet.”

“No.”

“I could make it an order.”

“I don’t report to you.”

“No, but I do happen to know Cody’s com frequency.”

“ _Kark_ off.”

“Listen, Rex, Walon Vau may be a _shabuir_ and a _demagolka_ , but he’s not a _di’kut_ ,” Blitz said tiredly. “I highly doubt he’s about to try and steal Tup from a berthing that he knows is full of pissed off, over-protective _ori’vod’e_. Plus, I’ll still be standing guard out here, just in case.”

No sooner than Blitz had spoken did Rex pick up on the sound of footsteps approaching the barracks housing the 501st. Then, as if the Commander himself had somehow willed the _Cuy'val Dar_ member into existence, Walon Vau rounded the corner.

It was ironic, really.

The man was exactly as he had always been - tall and athletic, clad in his signature black armour. He was helmetless, revealing a pallor that was just as ashen and pallid as Rex remembered, his features almost gaunt in the evening cycle lights.

As one, Rex and Blitz moved with the fluidity of _vod’e_ used to working alongside _vod’e_ , shifting to stand shoulder to shoulder directly in front of the doors to the barracks housing the 501st.

“Is there something that we can help you with?” Blitz asked, his voice carefully controlled.

Rex was not so subtle.

“Odd for you to be in this sector this time of night,” the Captain all but growled, not bothering the disguise the dislike and rage in his voice.

“I’m looking for a trooper,” Walon Vau replied smoothly, glancing between the two clones. A small smile upon his face, limbs loose and relaxed – a man confident in his power, and sure of his welcome.

Rex was seriously debating punching him.

“There are thousands of troopers planet side at the moment,” Blitz cut in. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“CT-5835,” Vau answered. “Is that specific enough for you?”

Blitz and Rex glanced at each other, Rex adopting a visage of perfect innocence. Working with Skywalker and Tano had taught him a few useful tricks, after all.

“I can’t say that I know a trooper that goes by that,” Rex replied, all innocence and feigned ignorance. “Are you certain that he is posted with the 501st?”

“Quite certain,” Vau replied. “He told me himself, earlier today.”

“Strange.”

“Might I take a look around for him?”

“Unfortunately, my men are resting, and they would not take kindly to an unwelcome visitor disrupting their barracks,” Rex replied smoothly, his voice dropping back to something closer to dislike.

“Am I an unwelcome visitor?”

Rex stepped closer to Vau before he spoke, pressing into his space as he let his face reveal his true emotions. Disgust. Rage. Hatred.

“Very much so.”

“How unfortunate,” Vau intoned in response, turning to leave without another word. Captain and Commander watched him go, a united front against a common enemy.

Once Vau’s footsteps had faded from hearing, Blitz turned to Rex, his face resolute.

“Go be with your men, Captain,” Blitz ordered.

Rex could have ignored him – normally would have, just to spite him – but in that moment the _alor’ad_ found that he did not want to. No, he wanted to go check on his _vod’ika_ , and comfort his _vod’e_.

“ _Ni ganar te aran, vod’e_ ,” _I have the watch, brother_ , Blitz reassured Rex, seeing the indecision on his face.

“ _Vor entye, vod’e_ ,” Rex replied softly before slipping back into the barracks.

~~~

“Tup?” Rex’s voice was soft – gentle almost – but it roused Tup from that place between sleep and waking without much effort.

Fives was still running his hands through Tup’s hair, and it took a concentrated effort on Tup’s part not to lose himself to the sensation of the touch again. Instead, he focused on his Captain, who was kneeling beside the bunk, his disconcerting focus entirely on Tup.

“I’m awake,” Tup answered.

“Good, that’s good,” Rex sounded flustered, almost. “I – well – he – Walon Vau, that is. He was here. Blitz is still keeping watch, but I doubt he’ll be back tonight.”

“ _Vor entye_ ,” Tup replied softly, knowing that Rex would have faced the man down himself. Rex huffed in response, a self-deprecating little sound.

“You have nothing to thank me for, _vod’ika_ ,” Rex responded. “ _Vod’e_ take care of their _aliit_.”

“So everyone keeps saying,” Tup mumbled, earning himself a rumble of a laugh from both Fives and Rex.

“We’ll keep saying it until you believe it, _Tup’ika_ ,” Fives said gently.

“He’s right,” Rex added wryly. “Tup, I -”

When the Captain trailed off, Tup pushed himself up on his forearms, ignoring Fives’ complaint.

“Rex?”

The Captain smiled at that, then gestured to the ground beside the bunk.

“Could I rest here, for the night?” Rex asked. “I know that you don’t need my protection – Force knows you can pack a punch – but it would make me feel better.”

Tup considered the Captain for a moment, then nodded.

Rex sank to the floor, turning to rest his back against the bunk. Fives didn’t hesitate to reach out and scratch the blond fuzz on the Captain’s head, earning himself a good-natured smack. Fives chuckled and went back to comforting Tup, who had returned to resting against him.

Tup knew that his _ori’vod’e_ knew he was awake as he pondered his own thoughts. Surrounded by them – by the love of his newfound _aliit_ – he found that he no longer hurt as badly as he once had. And somewhere in that love and protection, he found a sliver of courage to speak.

“It started slowly, at first,” Tup began, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I noticed him watching our training sessions more often. Sometimes, he would stop me after a session and offer suggestions. At first, I was thankful for it – excited to have gained the attention of such a revered trainer.”

No one spoke, so Tup continued.

“My batchmates were jealous – he didn’t pay them any attention – but I didn’t care,” Tup admitted. “Especially not when he started stepping in to help with my training during sessions. Especially not when I could tell that I was getting better, faster, than the rest of my batchmates.”

Tup closed his eyes before he continued, memories flashing across his eyelids.

“Then he started pulling me to join training session with his Commandos,” Tup explained. “They were bigger, stronger faster than I was – even if they hadn’t been bred that way, they were older than me. I couldn’t win – I could barely keep up, most days. And Vau – it was like I had failed him, somehow. He said that he had though that I could be something more, but that instead I was a weakling. A failure.”

Tup took a steadying breath before he continued.

“The private training sessions were the worst,” Tup continued. “I never knew when he would come for me – sometimes it was during training, but most often it wasn’t. He would pull me from the mess before I had a chance to eat, or from my bunk in the dead of night. He said it was to train, but no matter how hard I worked, I always failed. I always earned whatever predetermined punishment he had for me, because I wasn’t enough.”

A small, broken sound snuck out of Tup, but he forced the next sob down, determined to see his story through to the end – if only because he didn’t know if he would ever have the courage to tell it again.

“Sometimes, he hurt me – but in the end, that wasn’t so bad,” Tup admitted. “The cuts, the lashes, the bruises and broken bones – they always healed, in time, and I was able to keep the worst of them hidden. But eventually, my batchmates noticed, and they started asking questions.”

A sob forced its way out of Tup’s chest then, and he cried in earnest, pressing himself against Fives as he shook apart. Fives held him tight without hesitation, looking to Rex – and the _vod’e_ that had quietly gathered during Tup’s story – with pure anguish in his eyes.

The ARC Trooper had no _karking_ idea how to fix this.

“He killed them,” Tup sobbed. “A training accident, a mysterious disappearance – he always said that he knew nothing of what happened to them, but I knew. I had failed, and they were the price.”

Words failed him then, but his _vod’e_ didn’t.

Dogma didn’t ask before he climbed into the bunk with Fives and Tup, pressing himself firmly against Tup’s back and wrapping his arms around him. Then, impossibly, Hardcase managed to drop himself on top of the three of them, engulfing Tup in the embrace of his _vod’e_.

“Whatever Walon Vau did – or didn’t do – was not your fault,” Jesse growled.

“No, the blame is on that _shabuir_ and him alone,” Kix added. “Never with you.”

“And you’re hardly a weakling,” Rex added wryly.

Tup let out a choked laugh at that – at sheer amount of love and care quite literally surrounding him. He had found an _aliit_ – a home – and Walon Vau had no place here. He belonged in Tup’s past, not his future – and Tup would do whatever he had to in order to ensure that Walon Vau remained there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready to see Tup give Walon Vau what he deserves? 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♂️


	11. Akaanir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The training salle was packed with vod’e, and while most had discarded their armor in favourite of sparring in just their blacks, but it was evident that among those gathered was a good mix of both Rancor and Torrent. Commander Blitz and Captain Rex were standing shoulder to shoulder, watching the spar on the mat directly in front of them. Meanwhile, Trauma and Kix were observing the sparring match with equal expressions of disdain and general exasperation. Despite the raucous laughter and general chaos, the training salle felt... safe. 
> 
> Then the durasteel doors to the training sale swooshed open, and Walon Vau stepped into the space with languid grace, either unaware or unbothered by the dark looks more than a few troopers were shooting his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akaanir - Fight
> 
> This chapter was a long, long time in the making. I knew what I wanted from it - knew where I wanted it to begin, and how I wanted it to end. But taking the ideas floating around in my mind and actually weaving them into this chapter... It was difficult. So enjoy vod'e just being vod'e, casual betting over pudding cups, and scarily competent Tup facing down his literal demons. 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

Tup woke to a gentle shake on his shoulder.

“Go away, Fives,” Tup mumbled sleepily, swatting clumsily in the general direction of the hand shaking his shoulder – an action that earned him a good-natured chuckle that was decidedly _not_ Fives.

“Just me, _vod_ ,” the brother leaning against his bunk chuckled. “ARC Trooper Fives had duty.”

Tup rolled over with a groan, blearily opening his eyes to glower up at Dogma’s distinctive V-shaped tattoo.

“At least he had the good sense to let me sleep,” Tup accused, which earned himself another chuckle from Dogma.

“ _Elek_ , he did,” Dogma agreed. “But thankfully for you, I had the good sense to wake you up so that you wouldn’t miss the fun.”

Tup perked up at that, raising an eyebrow questioningly. He was too awake to go back to sleep now – may as well see what Dogma had planned.

“The com just went out – apparently quite a few members of Rancor and Torrent are sparring in the main training salle,” Dogma explained, tossing Tup’s blacks to him as he sat up. Tup caught them easily and began pulling them on. “Rumour has it that Captain Rex and Commander Blitz are there, and everyone is spoiling to see the two of them have it out.”

That _was_ worth waking up for.

Tup pulled his boots on and tucked his still too-long hair behind his ears. If it got much longer, he was going to have to start trying it up. Probably easier to just ask someone to help him cut it, but… Tup liked his long hair.

As he stood, he snatched the ration bar from Dogma’s outstretched hand, and followed the other trooper out into the hallway, eager to see what kind of havoc his _vod’e_ were stirring up now.

~~~

Dogma had been right – the training salle was packed with _vod’e_ , and while most had discarded their armour in favourite of sparring in just their blacks, Tup could still tell that it was a good mix of both Rancor and Torrent.

Commander Blitz and Captain Rex were standing shoulder to shoulder, watching the spar on the mat directly in front of them. Between flailing limbs and curses, Tup spotted Jesse’s signature Republic Cog tattoo. It figured that the 501st’s wise-cracking, hot headed Lieutenant would be in the midst of things.

To one side of the room, Trauma and Kix were observing the sparring match with equal expressions of disdain and general exhaustion, as if watching there _vod’e_ pummel each other was nothing new. Which, really, it wasn’t.

Not quite knowing where to go – or what to do – Tup lingered near the door as Dogma advanced into the crowd. When Dogma noticed that Tup wasn’t following him, he looked over his shoulder.

“Come on,” Dogma called, gesturing towards Oz and Ringo. Tup shook his head, hoping that his expression didn’t betray his rising nerves.

“I – I’ll catch up in a moment,” Tup called back, relieved when Dogma nodded and moved on, leaving Tup alone near the door.

Perhaps he could just slip out…

“You should go join them,” Kix suggested gently, appearing from seemingly thin air to stand at Tup’s shoulder. “They’re your _vod’e_ , and they clearly want you with them.”

Indeed, Dogma kept glancing back towards Tup and Kix, even as he chatted amicably with Oz and Ringo.

“I – I can’t,” Tup admitted nervously.

“Can’t? Or won’t?

“I don’t – I never – I don’t know how to have _vod’e_ ,” Tup explained. “Fives is one thing – he never really gave me a choice. But I don’t know how to _be_ with them.”

Kix nudged his shoulder, and Tup looked over to see the _baar’ur_ smiling softly at him.

“You do – being part of an _aliit_ isn’t something you forget,” Kix reassured the younger clone. “Besides, they want you there – Dogma went all the way back to the barracks to get you when he realized that you weren’t here.”

“He – what?” Tup asked in confusion. He had just assumed that Dogma had still been in the barracks, and he had mentioned something about a com…

“Go on, _vod’ika_ ,” Kix nudged him in Dogma’s general direction. “If you need a quick escape, I’ll be over here, tending to whatever injuries our _di’kutla vod’e_ inflict on themselves.”

Tup couldn’t help but smile at that, even as his stomach roiled nervously. He approached Dogma and the others anyways, almost sighing in relief when Dogma grinned at him.

“Tup! We were just taking bets on who would win a sparring match between Commander Blitz and Captain Rex.”

“My money is on Commander Blitz,” Oz interjected, earning himself a ribbing from Ringo.

“You can’t bet against your Commanding Officer, _utreekov_ ,” Ringo objected.

“Says who?”

“You don’t even have credits to bet,” Tup added nervously, earning him a round of good-natured laughs.

“Fine – I’ll bet tonight’s pudding cup that Commander Blitz would win that brawl,” Oz challenged.

“I’ll take that bet,” Ringo replied without hesitation. “I could always use an extra pudding cup.”

“I think you mean to say that you don’t mind giving up your pudding cup to me,” Oz replied gamely, a definite smirk working its way onto his face. At the sight of it, Ringo launched himself at his _vod_ , tackling him to the ground. Tup jumped out of the way, laughing alongside Dogma.

Maybe Kix was right, and being part of an _aliit_ wasn’t something you forgot.

Even as he thought it, Tup saw Rex and Blitz making their way through the crowd towards their little group. Initially, Tup thought they were coming to break up Oz and Ringo – who were still wrestling on the mats – but as his eyes met Rex’s, Tup felt his insides go cold.

“Tup, Commander Blitz is going to escort you back to the Rancor Barracks,” Rex said without preamble, not even bothering with a greeting. At the Captain’s tone, Dogma immediately pressed himself to Tup’s side, his metaphorical hackles clearly raised.

“I’m going with him,” Dogma announced pointedly, practically daring the Captain or Commander to contradict him.

All it earned him was a tight smile from Blitz.

“If you’re coming, we need to get moving,” Blitz ordered, already turning to move towards the only door in – or out – of the training salle. The trio had barely made it two steps when the durasteel doors slide open, revealing the cause for Rex’s alarm.

Walon Vau.

He stepped into the space with languid grace, either unaware or unbothered by the dark looks more than a few troopers were shooting his way.

Blitz immediately manoeuvred Tup behind his back, his larger bulk mostly hiding the younger trooper from view. Rex moved forward to intercept Vau, who was tailed by a clearly irate Fives and Hardcase.

“And as I said, _sir_ , Captain Rex could have come to you,” Fives growled.

“Well, we’re here now,” Vau drawled back. “Ah, good, Captain Rex.”

“What do you want?”

Torrent’s Captain came to a stop in front of Vau, arms crossed over his chest, back rom-rod straight. Had Tup been able to see his face, he suspected that he would find their Captain glaring with unrestrained hatred towards Vau.

“Manners, Captain,” Vau tutted dramatically. “You’d think you were raised by wolves.”

“Contrary to popular opinion, Alpha-17 raised me, not Wolffe,” Rex quipped back without hesitation. “Get to your point, Vau, or get out.”

“I am still looking for a trooper,” Vau drawled. “Perhaps you remember? CT-5835?”

“And I believe that I told you that I don’t know a trooper that goes by that,” Rex’s voice was tight, and Tup pushed at Blitz to get a better look at his Captain. Blitz elbowed him in the ribs for his efforts.

“Except, that’s not exactly true, is it?” Vau replied. “You see, I checked the 501st’s records. CT-5835 was assigned to you during your most recent recruitment. Commander Cody signed off on his posting, which I found most… peculiar.”

“Am I supposed to care what you think?”

“You might – given that I find it curious that Commander Cody would sign off on CT-5835’s assignment to the 501st, knowing that his records so very clearly show that he has not completed his training on Kamino,” Vau’s voice dropped into what could only be considered a threat. “I wonder, if I were to bring such a transgression up to the Kaminoans, what they would think. They do take their rigorous training program so seriously, after all.”

Tup shoved past Blitz, ignoring his garbled exclamation as he strode towards Vau, his blood pounding.

“Enough, Vau,” Tup growled, inserting himself between Rex and Vau, glowering up at his nightmares made flesh.

“Trooper, _stand down_ ,” Rex ordered. Tup didn’t so much as glance back at his _alor’ad_ , keeping his entire focus trained on the Mandalorian in front of him. He would deal with the consequences of ignoring an order from his Commanding Officer later – assuming he was in a position to do so.

“There you are, CT-5835,” Vau’s grin was more a baring of teeth, but Tup refused to back down or be cowed.

He had lived in fear for far too long, and he had no intention of letting this man – the _demagolka_ – hurt his _vod’e_ ever again.

“You’ll leave the rest of them out of this,” Tup growled. “Whatever _this_ is, it is between you, and me. Not them.”

“So, the runt finally grew teeth,” Vau mused. “How charming.”

Tup grinned back, his own feral baring of teeth earning him a minute reaction from Vau.

“Spar with me?”

Whatever Tup had been expecting, it wasn’t that. He had told the truth, when he had said that Vau hurting him wasn’t the worst thing that Vau had inflicted upon him. The cuts, the lashes, the bruises and broken bones – they always healed – but he had failed to protect his _vod’e_ from Vau’s wrath before.

He would not fail this time.

“No armour, no weapons,” Tup replied tightly. “Just us.”

Vau nodded in response, brushing past Tup towards the main sparring area in the middle of the training salle. _Vod’e_ parted for him as he went, giving him a wide berth when he stopped to remove his signature black armour.

For a moment, Tup stood still, his mind concerningly blank – then his _vod’e_ were on him.

“I told you to _stand down_ ,” Rex seethed.

“What are you thinking?”

“Have you lost your _karking_ mind?”

“Tup,” Fives gently drew Tup away from the others and towards him, gripping his chin tightly so that Tup had no choice but to meet his gaze. “Why?”

“I’m tired of being afraid of him,” Tup’s voice was small. “And I refuse to let him threaten my _aliit_.”

Because Commander Cody was Rex’s _cyare_ – maybe even his _riduur_ – which made him _aliit_. And Walon Vau had had the audacity to walk into this space – a space that was so clearly _theirs_ – and threaten one of their own.

“Tup, you don’t have to do this,” Fives insisted. “You can walk away now – no one would think less of you for it.”

“ _Vod’e_ take care of their _aliit_ ,” Tup repeated Fives’ own words from days earlier back to him, his voice a bit rueful. “This is how I take care of mine.”

He pulled away from Fives then, turning to walk towards the mats. Had he turned around, he would have seen Fives try to follow him, only to be stopped by Rex’s firm hand on his chest.

“Let him go,” Rex said gently.

Tup had no armour of his own to shed, but he did remove his boots before stepping onto the mats, already watching Vau carefully.

He didn’t bother double checking if Vau knew the rules of engagement – even if he did, Tup doubted that the rules of a normal spar applied here. He had fought Vau enough times to know that he fought dirty, and that the only rules he played by were his own.

Tup didn’t expect this fight to be any different.

They began with a standard series of movements – movements that Tup knew so well by now, they felt choreographed. Jabbing here, blocking there, throwing a kick here, dodging there. Testing one another’s strength, looking for openings and weaknesses.

Vau, trying to gauge how much Tup had grown and improved since his disappearance from Kamino.

Tup, trying to hide just what he had learned – to mask his strengths from a combatant who already knew who too well for his liking.

Tup made his choice in the breath of a second, exploding towards Vau with all the strength coiled in his muscles. Even decades of training weren’t enough for Vau to be adequately prepared for the unleashing Tup rained down upon him, years of pent-up rage and fury fueling his strikes.

Fighting Vau was not like fighting his _vod’e_. He was a Mandalorian, and he fought like one.

Tup fought without mercy, and Vau matched him blow for blow. The Mandalorian’s blows weren’t hard – no, they were precise and swift, but he wasn’t throwing himself into the fight wholly.

Vau was buying time.

Wearing Tup down as he looked for an opening, a weakness.

So Tup hit him where we was weakest, with a series of kicks to his right knee, weakened by an old injury.

Vau roared in frustration, lunging for Tup again. He didn’t pull the blow this time, and Tup felt the impact of his fist reverberating in every inch of his body. Tup gritted his teeth and parried his next blows with terrifying precision.

Tup’s next blow caught Vau squarely in the temple, and he crumpled. Tup followed him down, grappling with Vau as he crashes into the mats beneath their feet. The clone wrenched the Mandalorian’s arm behind his back, slamming his knee into the centre of Vau back as he pinned him firmly to the mats.

“You will stay away from me,” Tup whispered harshly in Vau’s ear. “You will stay away from the 501st, and the 212th.”

Vau growled beneath him, and Tup wrenched his arm further back, threatening dislocation. Vau froze, his breathing heavy beneath Tup’s weight.

“You will stay away from me,” Tup repeated, his words harsh. “Or I will explain to the Kaminoans exactly how you and Skirata have been playing games with their precious training program. _Tayli’bac_?”

Tup didn’t wait for a response before he shoved Vau down into the mats once more for good measure, then released the man, pushing himself to his feet.

Tup stumbled slightly as he righted himself, adrenaline giving way to reality. His knee was screaming with pain, and blood from a cut on his forehead was dribbling down into his eye. He made it all of three steps in what he assumed was the right direction before his knee gave out – only to be caught in Fives’ arms.

“You _karking dini’la or’dinii_ ,” Fives chastised as lowered Tup to the floor at the edge of the mats, his expression betraying clear concern. _Vod’e_ swarmed them, their murmurs a mixture of worry and excitement – yet despite the crowd, Kix and Trauma pushed through, clearly intent on fussing over their _vod’ika_.

A scuffle behind them had Tup turning to look – only to see Rex’s fist land squarely in the middle of Vau’s face.

“Stay down,” Rex snarled. “And stay away.”

“When I said you should join our _vod’e_ , this is not what I meant,” Kix seethed, pushing Fives out of the way as he and Trauma descended upon their injured _vod’ika_. Fives didn’t abide going far, and Tup was vaguely away of other _vod’e_ hovering at the medics fussed over him.

Eventually, Rex dropped down in front of him, a small smile in his face.

“I always knew you were holding back, _vod’ika_ ,” Rex said. “Though, I might have preferred you showing off in some other way.”

Tup chuckled, then winced at the pain in his chest.

“Sorry, Captain.”

Rex reached forward and ruffled Tup’s hair, a gesture that was distinctly… fatherly, almost.

“You don’t need to apologize for putting that _demagolka_ in his place,” Rex replied gently.

“No, but I do need to apologize for defying your orders,” Tup replied. “It’s just…”

Rex smiled, and Tup knew what he was going to say before the words even left his mouth.

“ _Vod’e_ take care of their _aliit_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! I promise you fluff, happiness, and just a touch of angst to wrap this up! 💙


	12. At Kyr Bal Nartimir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After weeks planet side, the 501st was finally home – or as close to home as they could be – back aboard the Resolute. For most of the clones, the brief stay on their birthplace had been thoroughly uneventful, but as Tup settled onto a pillow on the durasteel floor of the general barracks, it felt as though everything had changed. And yet, nothing had. His vod’e knew his secret – knew of his past – and they hadn’t shamed or shunned him for his perceived weakness. Instead, they had embraced him and pushed him forward, giving him the strength to finally stand up to his abuser and move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At Kyr Bal Nartimir - To End and Begin
> 
> Well vod'e, we've arrived at the end of another fic, and I think that it is safe to say that this specific chapter rolled its way onto the page as smoothly as I could have hoped. Because while this is the end of this fic, it is only the beginning of Tup's story with the 501st - and we all know what happens next. Oya, vod'e! 
> 
> This story takes place in the time prior to Tup's first canon appearance, at the Battle of Umbara. It is not directly connected to any of my other Clone Wars works.

After weeks planet side, the 501st was finally home – or as close to home as they could be – back aboard the _Resolute_. For most of the clones, the brief stay on their birthplace had been thoroughly uneventful, but as Tup settled onto a pillow on the durasteel floor of the general barracks, it felt as though everything had changed.

And yet, nothing had.

His _vod’e_ knew his secret – knew of his past – and they hadn’t shamed or shunned him for his perceived weakness. Instead, they had embraced him and pushed him forward, giving him the strength to finally stand up to his abuser and move forward.

To his left, Dogma leaned over and nudged his shoulder.

“Your cards, your deal,” Dogma hinted, glancing less-than-subtly at the well-used Sabacc cards held loosely in Tup’s hands.

Cards gifted to him by Hammer on their last night on Kamino. The ARC Trooper had handed them over with a smile, drawing a promise for Tup to ensure that the deck would be “well-used” among the 501st, for as long as Tup was with them.

Tup shook himself out of his reverie and nodded, shuffling the deck before dealing one card to each of the players – Dogma, Fives, Hardcase, Ringo, ad Oz.

“Last call,” Tup offered, glancing towards the bunk where Jesse and Kix were wrapped up around one another, the latter nuzzling into their _baar’ur_ ’s neck while he read from a data pad.

“Still not moving,” Jesse mumbled sleepily.

That earned him a round of good-natured laughs from the _vod’e_ gathered, and Tup finished dealing before they began the first round. For several minutes thereafter, the _vod’e_ sat in general silence, drawing and discarding cards with an almost unprecedented level of concentration, occasionally calling out their totals.

For what was supposedly a game of luck, Fives was doing supremely well.

“Pure Sabacc,” the ARC Trooper announced smugly, dropping his hand to reveal a Pure Sabacc comprised of the Queen of Air and Darkness, the 5 of Coins, the 6 of Staves, and the Master of Coins.

Everyone groaned, Hardcase going so far as to flop backwards dramatically.

“How do you always do that?” Dogma demanded.

“He cheats,” Rex interjected drily from the bunk he had claimed, cracking a single eye open to observe the group.

“He can’t be,” Tup contradicted the Captain without a second thought. “The deck Hammer gave me doesn’t match Fives’ set, and there’s nowhere to stash extra cards when we play like this!”

Kix chuckled at that, pulling his eyes away from the datapad in his hands to respond to Tup.

“He counts cards, _vod’ika_ ,” Kix explained smugly.

Ringo and Oz immediately fixed Fives with a pair of looks that could only be described as… hungry.

“Teach us,” Ringo demanded.

“No can do, _vod’ika_ ,” Fives tsked. “ARC Troopers never reveal our secrets.”

“Fives, play nice,” Rex warned without any real heat.

“I am playing nice,” Fives grumbled. “It’s not like I actually made them bet against me.”

“Ah yes, because we’re so flush with credits to bet on a barracks game of Sabacc,” Tup interjected lightly, earning himself a couple chuckles. It felt… good. Normal, and relaxed, to be among his _vod’e_ , in a way he had not felt in years.

He hadn’t realized how much he missed it.

The sound of the durasteel door to the barracks sliding open drew the group from their continued bickering – and the sight at the door had Rex scrambling to his feet.

“Codes,” the Captain sounded breathless as he practically ran to his _cyare_. “I didn’t know you would be coming aboard.”

Marshal Commander Cody, the near legendary Commander of 7th Sky Corps – including the renowned 212th Attack Battalion – merely took off his helmet and caught an armful of Captain. The grin on his face tugged at the identifying scar around his left eye.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Cody admitted sheepishly. “Plus, it wasn’t a sure thing until just a few hours ago – you know how Kenobi and Skywalker are.”

Rex pulled away from Cody’s embrace, seeming to remember that they were in the barracks, currently being watched by several very attentive _vod’e_ – a few of which had never actually seen their Captain and the Marshal Commander together in person.

In fact, as Cody’s gaze swept over them, Tup tried to scramble to his feet to stand at attention, only to be smothered by Fives. Tup swatted at him without hesitation, struggling against the ARC trooper’s hold.

Cody’s eyes crinkled silent laughter.

“At ease, trooper _-_ we’re just _vod’e_ in here,” Cody said. “What’s your name?”

“Tup, sir,” the younger clone answered quickly, finally shoving Fives off so that he could look the Marshal Commander in the eye with what little of his dignity remained.

Recognition sparked in Cody’s gaze.

“You seem to have settled in well, _vod’ika_ ,” Cody commented. “And already sporting a tattoo, too.”

Almost unconsciously, Tup reached up and touched the newly healed teardrop tattoo beneath his left eye.

“Yes, sir. Trauma did it for me, before we left Kamino,” Tup explained quickly.

He’d asked the _baar’ur_ to do it while he was recovering from his spar with Walon Vau in the med bay. Had insisted upon the small teardrop tattoo – as a way to represent and remember the loss of his batchmates.

Trauma had agreed – once Tup had promised to take it easy and actually follow the advice the medics had given him.

“It suits you,” Cody said gently, earning himself a rare smile from Tup – and a subsequent ribbing from his _cyare_.

“Come on, _ner al’verde_ ,” Rex murmured, shoving Cody towards his recently vacated bunk. “Let the _ade_ get back to their game – Fives was just about to teach them how to cheat properly.”

Cody let himself be led to the bunk without protest, that wry smile still adorning his face. Didn’t comment when Rex helped him discard his gold and white plastoid armour, stacking it neatly beside Rex’s own blue and white set. But when it came to actually climbing into the bunk, the Commander didn’t hesitate to take charge, pulling Rex down with him and wrangling the Captain against his chest. Rex merely huffed and snuggled closer before reaching for his datapad again. Cody, for his part, merely smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to his _cyare_ ’s temple.

Tup watched the entire scene with a sort of curious fascination, but didn’t comment.

Fives, however, had no such compunctions.

“Don’t you two have somewhere more private for that sort of thing?” Fives quipped. “Say like, I don’t know, Rex’s _private quarters_?”

Cody snorted, but Rex fixed Fives with a vaguely threatening glare.

“Jesse literally has his tongue down Kix’s throat, and I don’t see you bothering _them_ ,” Rex pointed out sarcastically.

Indeed, the Lieutenant seemed to have capitalized on his _vod’e_ ’s momentary distraction to maneuver himself more fully on top of Kix, giving himself a better angle to thoroughly snog the _baar’ur_.

“Seriously, Jesse?” Hardcase groaned, miming gagging as Jesse pulled away from Kix.

While Jesse simply looked smug, Kix at least had the good sense to look slightly abashed – though his flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips told a different story.

“Jealous, _vod_?” Jesse sounded as smug as he looked.

“I wouldn’t mind a good _mureyca_ ,” Fives simpered, puckering his lips.

Kix groaned and chucked a pillow at the ARC trooper, setting off another round of laughs and jeers.

Tup laughed alongside his _vod’e_ , relaxing in their presence. He didn’t even resist when Fives pulled Tup to him, leaning them both against the side of a bunk. On the durasteel floor before them, the Sabacc game lay forgotten as their _vod’e_ roughhoused and jested with one another.

“You okay, _vod’ika_?” Fives asked softly.

And as Tup looked around at his _aliit_ – Jesse and Kix still wrapped around one another on one bunk, Ringo and OZ half-heartedly wrestling each other, Rex and Cody watching with ill-concealed amusement, and Dogma and Hardcase bantering between bunks – he realized that for the first time in a long time, he was.

“Yeah, Fives,” Tup responded with a smile. “I am okay.”

~~~

Eventually, the _vod’e_ settled down, relaxing in a leisurely sort of comfort as they lounged about the barracks.

Fives was idly playing with Tup hair, wrapping the now nearly shoulder-length locks around his fingers over and over again. Tup leaned into the touch without hesitation, all but purring as Fives’ nails gently scratched at his scalp.

“I could cut it, if you want,” Fives suggested.

Tup merely shook his head.

“I like it,” Tup admitted. “Though it’s getting long enough not that I’ll have to start tying it up on missions – assuming Rex ever actually lets me go planet side.”

Fives chuckled at that – a sound cut short by the pinging of Cody’s comlink.

“Speaking of which,” Cody muttered, shifting beneath Rex to answer the call. “Cody, here.”

“Ah good, Commander Cody,” came the fine Coruscanti accent of General Obi-wan Kenobi. “Anakin, Ahsoka and I need you and Captain Rex on the bridge for our mission briefing – we just received more information for the Jedi Council.”

“We’re on our way, sir,” Cody confirmed, moving to end the com call.

Rex cut in quickly.

“Where are we headed this time, sir?”

General Kenobi sighed heavily before answering.

“Umbara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Finally fulfilling some requests for my Ahsoka & the 501st Series by writing a fic about Echo helping Ahsoka with her homework, and about that time that Lux Bonteri kidnapped Ahsoka (spoiler: Rex was not impressed). 💙💙💙

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a Translations/Meanings: 
> 
> Adiik - Child  
> Alor'ad - Captain  
> Al'verde - Commander  
> Baar'ur - Medic  
> Cuir - Four  
> Cuy'val Dar - A group of individuals summoned by Jango Fett to come to Kamino to train clone troopers  
> Cyare - Beloved, Loved One  
> Cyar'ika - Darling, Swwetheart  
> Demagolka - Monster  
> Di'kut - Idiot (Di'kutla - Stupid)  
> Dini'la - Insane, Lunatic  
> Elek - Yes  
> Haar'chak - Damn it  
> Jate'kara - Good luck  
> Jetii - Jedi (Plural: Jetiise)  
> Kaminii - Kaminoans (Plural: Kaminiise)  
> K'uur - Hush  
> Naas - Nothing  
> Nayc - No  
> Ori'vod - Older Brother/Sister  
> Or'dinii - Moron   
> Osik - Shit (Impolite)  
> Riduur - Spouse (Husband/Wife)  
> Serim - Accurate, Correct  
> Slanar - Go, Leave  
> Tayli'bac - Understood (Aggressive)   
> Usen’ye - Go away (rude)  
> Utreekov - Fool (lit. Emptyhead)  
> Verd’ika - Little Soldier  
> Vod - Brother (Plural: Vod'e)  
> Vor entye - Thank-you  
> Werda - Darkness, Stealth


End file.
